Shadowed Light
by Stone Shield
Summary: Attacked at an early age, Naruto strives to find meaning to his life. Eventually, learning to find meaning in the love of and for others. NaruHina. May be rated M in the future.
1. Pain and Isolation

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did, as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

Chapter 1

"Aaaargh!" Screams filled the air, screams of pain and terror. It took a few seconds to realize he was the one screaming. Dark laughs answering his screams. "Haha, what's this? The Demon can't take a little pain?" "Kukuku, fool, stand back. I want to see what makes the little gaki tick", another voice, a cold voice spoke up. The scene faded as he blacked out from the pain, his body finally surrendering to unconsciousness. He woke up in a cold sweat, jerking into an upright position. The sounds of his jack-hammering heart and labored breathing filled his ears. Even after several years the nightmare still occurred. It had been three years since he'd been found after what the council considered an "unfortunate accident". Eight years old, he'd attended his first day of class at the academy, and then vanished for days. Later, he'd been found by the Hokage and his ANBU. Though nothing could be proven, he and the Hokage believed the ANBU guard assigned to him had been lax in his duties on purpose, allowing him to go missing. He'd heard that Iruka was one of the ones who had found him. The Hokage himself mentioned the horrified look on his face. After being discovered in an unused classroom, he remained comatose for a whole month, locked away in his mind from what the old man surmised to be days of torture. The truly horrific part being that when they found him he was opened up like a dissected lab specimen. It was only by the Hokage's protection that the village council was stopped from performing what they called "the humane thing to do", meaning they wanted to kill him.

But even though he'd awoken from his unconscious state, he still bore scars, mental ones as all his physical ones had healed. The only thing that saved his sanity from shattering was a presence from within, shielding him. In his mind, a young woman comforted him through his pain. During the month long coma, he and the mysterious woman spent a great deal of time together. She revealed herself as Kyubi, who told him of the events involving the attack on Konoha. From a mind consuming rage brought on by the one who'd summoned her, an Uchiha, to the sealing, revealing the relation he shared with the one who'd sealed her within him, the Yondaime. That he was his son. At first, he didn't trust her, but sensing her sorrow at what was being done to him, in time he regarded her as the family he never had, as a sister.

When he finally had awoken, he'd been surprised and relieved to find the old man standing beside his bed. It was only through years of knowing him that his trust in the old man remained true. After initial talk of how he was glad the blonde was alright, he'd asked what had happened. Unfortunately, nothing he said could help to identify his attackers. It was after the old man, Sarutobi, had remarked on how he still seemed so mentally okay that Naruto told him of his "big sister" and revealed what he'd learned. It had taken some explaining before he calmed down. Revealing how she'd protected him and what she had said about her attacking Konoha had earned her a little trust from the old man. "Naruto, for now, I'm withdrawing you from the Academy." Naruto's eyes widened in shock then returned to a more neutral expression as he asked quietly, "But why, oji-san? You know I've always wanted to be a ninja." Sarutobi raised his hand as a signal to quiet the boy. "Listen first, my boy. I want you to withdraw for now. But you will still become a shinobi." "But how?" The old Hokage's wisened features cracked into a small smile, "I can't train you myself, thanks to our friends on the council. But I can provide you with an itinerary, a guide for your training so that you may better defend yourself." And so he trained for three years, only now, a year before graduation, rejoining the Academy.

The training regime the Hokage had provided for him proved to be a meat grinder, even for someone with his high levels of chakra and stamina. Even worse, from his perspective, his sister would participate, sometimes training him while his body slept. Every day he was driven into the ground by extensive hours of chakra control and physical exercises. Unfortunately, due to his extremely large reservoirs of chakra, for even the slightest improvement in his control he had to train himself relentlessly. With no one and nothing else to spend his time with, his whole day, every day, he would train. The Hokage had actually come by to watch a few times, always remarking at the amazing "coincidence" of meeting him there, when he went on a lunch break. But he saw through the deceptive talk, recognizing that he was just checking on him and his progress. It was when he was around that he did his best to show his improvement, to make the old man proud of him.

And the dietary guide had nearly eliminated his Ramen eating. He was still allowed to eat it but either had extra helpings of vegetables added or ate it less often. Though with his metabolism, it couldn't be helped that he always ate a lot, no matter what the food was. A year into his training, the old man had taken him to a small barbeque restaurant and stared in awe as the boy ate…and ate…and ate. It was always his habit of muttering that he must have Akimichi blood as he paid the bill.

His relentless training eventually paid off, as the old man came to him after three years, telling him he would be reentering the Academy in its' graduating class. He felt the blonde was more than strong enough to look after himself. No one ever saw anything in the boy, but he recognized that he was overflowing with raw potential. Still, the scars of his torture remained and he'd adopted a mask, this time a literal one, to hide behind. It always worried him how he was so isolated. The once hyperactive and attention seeking blonde had changed after the attack. Instead of seeking out human contact, he dove into his training and studies, hardly saying anything to anyone but him. When he'd first seen the boy's ANBU-like mask, the Hokage had looked shocked, but seemed to understand and said nothing. He could sense the pain hidden within the boy but it was his hope that the Academy, and its' students in particular, could heal him. He'd all but suppressed his emotions, becoming more closed off and solitary. And here he was awaking up from his usual nightmare on the first day back at the Academy. Leaning back onto the icy, sweat-soaked sheets, he let sleep reclaim him for the few hours of night he had left.

Iruka gave a sad smile as he read the note from the Hokage. "So he's returned," he whispered under his breath. He'd only met the boy that one day when he first entered the Academy, and at the time he'd still been filled with anger towards the Kyubi for killing his parents. But finding the boy, a lifeless shell, opened up on a teacher's desk, had caused him to rethinks his views on the child. Clearing his throat to get the attention of all the students, "Ahem, good morning class. It's nice to see so many familiar faces. This year you will take the graduation exam to become full-fledged genin." There was a chorus of cheers and yells. "I would also like to announce the return of a student from your first year. You can come in now." Everyone turned to see the door open and a figure in a cloak and mask walk in. There were many whispered comments about his attire but that wasn't too strange, as he looked a little like a mini ANBU. "Would you like to introduce yourself?", Iruka asked, kindly. With a slight bow, he murmured "Naruto Uzumaki", before moving to a vacant desk in the back corner of the classroom. He overheard a pair of girls whom he recognized as Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno muttering between them. "Thinks he's so cool." "Not as cool as my Sasuke-kun!" "No, he's my Sasuke-kun, Ino-PIG!" The fight escalated until Iruka told them to stop, much to Naruto's thanks. "_Annoying_", he thought. His sister adding her two cents, "**I hate fangirls!**" she growled.

There were really only a few class members that he found interesting. The first, Shino Aburame. From what he'd found out, the boy was fairly intelligent, but refrained from flaunting his brains. Another exceedingly smart student, Shikamaru Nara. Except, unlike Shino, he was just too lazy to apply himself. And Choji Akimichi, he seemed like a kind soul, even if he never stopped eating. Finally, Hinata Hyuga, the ever shy girl in next row. In truth, he'd only met them in the briefest period of time but he still felt like he knew them, as if they were kindred spirits. The others though… Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, fangirls. Kiba and Akamaru, his nin-ken, rough and rowdy but understandable. Sasuke Uchiha, someone who gave him chills. There just always seemed to be something off about him, like he was unstable. Though, with his past, it was easy to see why. "**Be careful around that one, Kit. He reeks of darkness**," his sister whispered to him. "_I know, I can sense it too_." The rest of the morning was spent reviewing shinobi history, laws, jutsu trivia, and a medley of theoretical combat scenarios. Finally though, "alright, let's break for lunch." While the class emptied out, except for a handful of students, Naruto munched on an apple. "_So, sis…think you can beat me?_", he spoke quietly. He didn't challenge her as often anymore, lately becoming engrossed in trying to create jutsus of his own. "**Hehehe, you're on, otouto!**", she snickered. Setting up the Go board, it wasn't long before he found himself losing to the crafty fox. "**What is that, Kit? 200 to me and 11 to you?**", she asked her little brother, his right eye twitching in annoyance beneath the mask. He was broken from his thoughts by an introspective voice. "Interesting." Looking up, he found Shikamaru leaning over the board, examining the completed board. "Yes?", Naruto asked in a neutral tone. "Oh, just interesting is all. I've never seen such complex moves", he said, pointing out Kyubi's pieces. Fortunately, before he was asked to explain the moves in the game, Iruka reentered the room. "Okay, class, let's go outside and see how you've all improved over the summer." Shikamaru, groaning, shuffled off.

First up was a timed jog around the Academy training area to test their speed and stamina. The old man had suggested he not reveal his real strength yet, so he kept to a steady pace, coming in fourth, though pretended to be winded. He was surprised at how slow they all moved. "**They haven't trained as much as you have**", his nechan supplied, "**And they haven't been trained by me**". As expected, Ino, Sakura, Choji, and Shikamaru were last, the latter two only because one was too lazy and the other was built for strength not speed. The two girls though, seemed to almost have no stamina whatsoever as they finished, puffing loudly, out of breath, proof they spent more time doing fangirlish things instead of training.

Next was kunai and shuriken accuracy. The object was to hit bullzeyes on a person-shaped target. Though he only got 6 out of 10 bullzeyes, no one noticed he intentionally threw four of them to miss, so as to not look too good.

The sparring sessions made him nervous. His attacks were somewhat instinctual, and he'd even been working on creating his own style, but he would have to use basic Academy level taijutsu to hide his strength, and pray he didn't slip up. He wasn't afraid of losing; he just wasn't ready to reveal he was near Chunin level in skill. Iruka and Mizuki paired the students up. Soon, Naruto found himself facing Sakura Haruno, the class' pink-haired kunoichi to be. "_I must keep it basic, simple…_" he thought to himself. His sisters' chuckle filled his mind, "_Nechan?_" "**Simple? Just do as I tell you, otouto**" she said and informed him of her idea. Sidestepping her blatantly obvious charge, his arm shot out, chopping the back of her neck at the base of her skull, rendering her unconscious. "_Simple, quick…though I don't think she was expecting such a simple attack. Thanks, nechan_", he muttered internally. "**She's a fangirl; you weren't expecting her to be tough were you?**" Kyubi asked. "_No, not really_". Iruka sighed, "Technically, you're supposed to show what you can do". Naruto shrugged, before sitting down, back to a tree, waiting for the other matches to end.

So the months flew by. Shikamaru had joined the ranks of those that could crush him at Go. He began to associate with Shino Aburame as well, a silent understanding of each other between them. But Naruto remained as reclusive as ever. Sometimes, he still wished he were still his old boisterous self, able to laugh and be so confident and care free. Though he had begun to notice his old feelings swell in his chest when he was around Hinata Hyuga. After a time, he realized her gentle, kind nature was always what came to mind. But, for the life of him, he couldn't make heads or tails of his feelings so just kept it to himself, trying to ignore it, and sinking even further into silent seclusion.

A few months before the graduation exam, there was an incident where he couldn't hide his strength. Some bullies had cornered Hinata Hyuga. He didn't doubt that she could handle them, but their constant rebukes had caught her off guard and she'd retreated into her shell of insecurity.

Flashback

Hinata felt like she was a shadow shrinking in the light. Every insult and curse tore into her. "You're one of the oh-so-great Hyuga? I've never seen such a pathetic ninja!" one jeered. A shorter thug snickered, "Yeah, she'll probably die on her first mission, as weak as she is". Before she knew it she had her head bowed, trying as best she could to hide her tears. "Little bitch, who could ever be frightened of you?" the leader sneered, spitting at her. "But you should be afraid" a cold voice spoke up. Hinata raised her head to see her classmate Naruto Uzumaki appear out of the shadows, his white mask looking ghost-like as pale light fell on it. "Hmph, beat it you little punk. You don't want any of this", the leader spoke, he and the gang turning back to the hunched over figure of Hinata. "On the contrary", the genin to be spoke up. "Six against one…hardly honorable odds". The gang leader's jaw clenched in anger at the insult, "What was that you bastard?" "Simply a statement of how you are all too weak and cowardly to face her one on one, as she would easily mop the floor with you", Naruto responded. Hinata's ducked head concealed a bright blush from his statement. "Get him!" the leader of the gang shouted as they ran at him. Fearing the outcome, Hinata clenched her eyes shut. For almost a minute the fight filled the small alley behind the Academy. Finally, there was only silence, and the sound of her crying for the boy who'd tried to help her. "Are you alright?" a quiet voice asked. "Huh?" opening her eyes she looked up to see the masked face of Naruto Uzumaki, with an offered hand. "But how-", pulled gently to her feet, she looked wide-eyed, to find the gang of bullies littering the ground, unconscious. "They gave me little recourse", the blonde said quietly. "But still, are you alright?" Fighting her shock, she nodded. "I-I'm fine. Thank you, Na-Naruto-kun", she stuttered out. Giving a small bow, he turned and walked away. Just before he disappeared, she heard a whispered, "You are more than welcome, Hinata-san", and then he was gone. She blushed at the warmth she'd felt from his last words.

End Flashback

From then on, the Hyuga heiress found herself fascinated in her savior. She did all she could to learn as much about him as possible. She began to notice that though he seemed to know things, he only applied himself enough to barely pass. A big question was why he'd only now rejoined the Academy, and why he'd joined the graduating class? He hardly ever talked. In fact, the only time she'd ever heard his voice was when he'd first introduced himself and at the fight where he'd helped her. The major question was who was he? No one had ever seen his face or what he looked like without the mask and cloak. So, to find out, she began to follow him. For weeks, her "research" had proven to be a waste, until one day, a week before the graduation exam.

As usual, he walked to the farthest training ground on the east end of the village. It was far enough away that no one could simply stumble onto his practice. Following him, she began to notice how the villagers and a few shinobi treated him, spitting, cursing, and sometimes throwing things. "_Why?_" she wondered.

She followed him to the training area he frequented, prepared for another fruitless afternoon of watching the blonde train relentlessly. Not that she minded watching him train, even if her eyes watched his body more than his moves. Part of her wanted more than anything to train alongside him, but she just couldn't get her body to move. She was always shocked at how long and hard he would train, and this time was no different, though it was. She watched as he, swaying slightly, shuffled to the edge of the stream. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw him reach for his mask. Removing it, she stared in fascination at a face that burned itself into her mind and heart. Blonde, spiky hair cascaded limply over deep blue eyes. His skin was tanned nice and even, unnaturally even. He bore a trio of lines on either cheek, almost like whiskers. But it was his eyes that captured her. So many things she saw in those blue pools, deep as the ocean. She saw warmth, kindness, but also sadness and loneliness, strength and goodness. "Beautiful", she whispered. She bolted when his head twitch in her direction.

"Hmm…I thought I heard something", he whispered. Taking a quick drink from the cool water, splashing some on his face, he wiped it off and slid his mask back down over his face. Pulling himself up from his kneeling position beside the stream, he climbed tiredly to his feet. "**Still distracted? Thinking about that girl?**" snickered Kyubi, earning a twitch from the blonde. "_It's strange…I feel…odd, whenever I'm around her. I can't really explain it_". Kyubi sighed and shook her head; her brother was an idiot when it came to girls. She wouldn't say anything, but she knew all about her little otouto's "stalker", and that she was the one he'd just sensed. "**You'll figure it out. Now, let's go home, you need to rest**". Sighing, he cast a look towards the horizon and the setting sun before turning and dragging himself toward his shamble of an apartment, hoping for a night free of nightmares. A wish that never seemed to come true.

AN: Thanks for reading! I write for the fun of it as well as the therapeautic release from stressfull times. However, I am open to suggestions about future events in the story. And I'm sorry if some of my grammar or spelling is off. Though I like to write, I don't usually let others see what I write. Aren't you the lucky one(s)! But please leave feedback, positive and negative.

Some Jutsus are original. Some combos are ideas taken from the series that I haven't seen but wondered about the possibilty. Ex. Combining multiple Water Dragon Jutsus (done with Shadow Clones) and the Water Gathering Jutsu, making the Water Hydra Jutsu. As indicated by the name, a huge ball of watr with multiple Water Dragon heads sticking out of it.


	2. Graduations, New Friends, Team 7

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

Chapter 2

"_I get the scroll, and the Kyubi brat gets blamed. No one in the village would ever think it was anyone but him_". Mizuki was beside himself in mirth at his own deviousness. After stealing the Forbidden Scroll, he'd made off into the forest outside Konoha. His plan was going perfectly, until he reached a small clearing near a run-down farmhouse. Jumping from the trees and touching down on the ground, a cold voice sent shivers down his spine. "Going somewhere, sensei?" And in front of him, appearing almost like a specter from the shadows of night, stood Naruto Uzumaki. "_Damn, what's he doing here_?" Mizuki thought bitterly. Regaining his composure, "Uzumaki, what are you doing here? The genin exam is early in the morning. You don't want to fail, do you?". "You can stop the charade, now, Mizuki-baka. I've known about your traitorous tendencies for some time now". Mizuki immediately launched his two fuma shuriken at the blonde, one after the other. The projectiles barely missed him as he bounced around in the trees. "Aargh! Come out and fight, Demon!" the ex-teacher snarled. A blur of black caught his eye and he shot out his fist. Naruto couldn't help but feel dizzy after the strike to his temple, and ended up on the ground.

Trying to clear his vision, he heard something that stopped him in his tracks. "Time to finish what I started in that classroom, and kill you!" Mizuki cackled darkly, twirling a retrieved fuma shuriken. The stunned look under the blonde's mask faded as the clearing filled with killing intent. Later, some ANBU would say they'd heard some girly screaming coming from the forest, but had chalked it up to Anko finding someone to play with. But an hour later, Naruto, Forbidden Scroll in hand, dragged a heavily beaten Mizuki into the Hokage's office, where he was greeted by the Hokage and several ANBU.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. I see your hunch was correct. And thank you for returning the scroll as well", he said, retrieving the proffered document. "I still can't believe it though. Mizuki was a well respected teacher". "With a fetish for torture", Naruto whispered, but the old man still caught the bitter comment. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" "Remember my 'accident', old man?" his normally calm voice spiking from the agitation he was failing spectacularly to hide. The Hokage nodded, wincing slightly at the anger in his voice. "Was he involved somehow?" Naruto answered with a sharp nod. "To what extent?" Naruto simply turned and made his way out the door, answering in a calm voice laced heavily with venom. "Old man, if I see him again, I can't guarantee I'll spare his life", and he was gone.

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose, as he always did as a habit in tiresome situations. The ANBU had just finished taking Mizuki away, leaving in the wake of the blonde he regarded as a grandson. As soon as the former teacher was healed, Ibiki would have him. Though from what he saw, it would take a while for him to heal. Thinking back, he felt a certain amount of proud. Not only had the blonde boy noticed the treacherous behavior of his teacher, he'd spearheaded his capture. And after finding out he was one of the people who'd tortured him, he'd resisted killing the man, a mark of the integrity the boy had. It was a proud, sad day for the aging Hokage. Though he had to admit, Mizuki was a high level Chunin, and yet Naruto had worked on him like a side of beef. A small smile crept to his face, "_Minato…that boy is worth more than his weight in gold. I wish he didn't have to go through so much pain though. But with a heart like his, he'll be Hokage yet_". It was still dark out, but his gaze lingered on where he knew the Yondaime Hokage's face was carved into the mountainside, and where he also knew, instinctively, Naruto was currently. He really was somewhat particular in his habits. Whenever he was disturbed by something or just needed to think, he always went to the monument. Sighing, he went back to what he'd been planning on doing all evening. Looking over the Academy's progress reports, he began thinking up team possibilities for those that he already knew would graduate.

The following morning, he jogged to the Academy via the rooftops of Konoha, appearing as a blur of black to those who looked. He arrived to find several others already there, twitching in anticipation of the exam. Kyubi positively giggled at the fear on their faces, cackling evilly. "**I should have been a teacher. To be allowed to strike such fear into children. Hahahaha!**" Naruto sweatdropped, sometimes his sister got a little carried away. Sitting at his usual desk in the back of the room, he waited for the exam to start, too distracted by his nechan's ranting to notice someone's gaze on him.

"_Naruto-kun_", Hinata thought to herself, blushing at the memory of his face. She hoped that they both passed and were on the same team. Then, maybe, she could learn from him how to be so confident and strong. She'd long admired how strong he was on the inside, something that she wasn't. It was her hope to learn from him and actually work up the courage to talk to him. And they could save each other from their loneliness. Watching him over time had revealed to her that beneath his solitary uncaring exterior, was a kind boy, longing for human contact. But what she still couldn't figure out was why he, on purpose, stayed distant from others. She wondered if it had to do with why most of the villagers seemed to hate him. She sighed quietly, mulling over thoughts of her crush. At times, she was unable to stop herself from thinking of him as her Naruto-kun, as no one knew him as well as she did, though she'd be too embarrassed to admit it. Most of the class was still so centered on Sasuke Uchiha that it even interrupted their training. She knew that was a mistake so even though she longed to be with her blonde-haired crush, she had trained hard to be worthy of him, to be recognized, noticed, by him.

Slowly, the room emptied as students were called to take the test. It wasn't until after Sasuke had been called, that his name was called as well. He was lead into a room where he found Iruka and two others. The test was relatively simple. As asked to, he performed a henge (transformation jutsu) and kawarimi (replacement jutsu). The request for bunshin (clone jutsu) was tricky though.

After months of failed attempts at producing bunshin, he'd approached the Hokage. He'd been worried; he had followed the scrolls directions to the letter and had failed every attempt. The reason for this problem though was fairly simple. After multiple tests, the old man informed him his chakra capacity was too high, and control still wasn't good enough to perform the basic jutsu. Where most shinobi developed their control alongside their growing chakra reserves, his own reserves were already so large that what little control he had was nowhere near enough and would take intensive exercises to increase it. Unfortunately, it was slow going and even after all this time the level of growth of his chakra control was barely that of an average genin. Well, an average genin with somewhere around Jonin level reserves. But his disappointment was replaced by excitement as the old man provided him with a solution.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu", he whispered, his hands in the now familiar crossed seal. After using it so many times, he could perform it with only the last seal. A cloud of smoke enveloped him and the surrounding area, soon fading to reveal three Naruto's where there had been one. Unfortunately, one of the judges was shrewder than the others. He walked up to the trio of blondes, and promptly hit the one on the right in the stomach. The clone dispelled from the impact in a cloud of smoke. "Shadow Clones?!" Iruka and the judges gasped. "What is the meaning of this?" the judge, who'd destroyed the clone, asked. One of the two remaining masked blondes tilted his head, "You asked for a clone, you never specified what type". Iruka was fighting the grin that was growing on his face, and was losing the battle, spectacularly. "Very well. The last test is taijutsu. You will fight an opponent and be graded on your proficiency". The door slammed open, "Yosh! Where is the youthful student I will be testing?"

Naruto shivered on instinct. Maito Gai was the best taijutsu expert in all of Fire Country, but was eccentric to an appalling level. It was often thought by his sister that his mannerisms were the sign that he'd been driven insane by a powerful genjutsu. But he was beginning to wonder if the Jonin was just naturally…weird. Naruto stepped forward, "That would be me, Maito-san". "Aha! So you've heard of my youthful skills!?" the tall, muscular Jonin shouted. "Come. Let us see what you are capable". "_Great_", Naruto thought, grudgingly. He would love to test his personal creation against the taijutsu master, but it wasn't ready yet. So he would just have to stick to basic academy level taijutsu…with any and all tricks he could toss in.

Gai tested his defense first, seeing how he would respond to different attacks. Then he allowed a few small openings to see if the boy could spot them and, most importantly, exploit those opportunities. Even though he knew the man was holding back, a lot, Naruto was only able to last a short time before it began to tax his own massive stamina. "Yosh, you are quite skilled! There is much potential within you!" the man shouted, causing the other proctors to wince. "But I must ask, were you not using your preferred taijutsu style?" The proctors all gave him their undivided attention at that revelation, curious of what he meant as the blonde had used flawless, textbook Academy taijutsu. Naruto sighed, resigning himself to the truth. He could perform Academy taijutsu perfectly, but knew he still gave off signs, albeit small ones, that it was still foreign to him. And it would be easy for someone as dedicated to taijutsu as Gai to detect. "No, Maito-san. I've been working on creating my own style for some time now, but it is still not ready". By this statement, Gai was practically in tears. "Such a promising boy!" he thought. "My boy, if you would let me, it would be my pleasure to aid you, and teach you alongside my other gifted student of hard work in your spare time". "Now there's an idea", the blonde thought. "**Do it**", Kyubi told him. "This **man is obviously a strong shinobi, you'll learn much**", she finished in a matter-of-fact tone. Naruto nodded, "Very well, Maito-sensei. I will try to join you and your student as often as possible". "YOSH! ANOTHER STUDENT HAS COME TO ME IN THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH! WE WILL IGNITE THE FIRES OF YOUTH WITHIN YOU!!" Gai began to rant. Fortunately, Naruto had tuned him out, for sanity's sake. He was ushered out the door by Iruka who, surprisingly, removed his own hitai-ate and handed it to him. Stunned by the look of pride in the teacher's eyes, all he could do was bow. Smiling down at the silent blonde shinobi, "Team assignment is tomorrow at 9am sharp". And with that he left, the hitai-ate of a new precious person tied firmly to his left bicep.

That night, the Jonin sensei assembled in the Hokage's office to receive and discuss the finalized team assignments. "So I get the Hyuga heiress, an Aburame, and an Inuzuka. Hmm, makes for an interesting group. Hinata's Byakugan, Shino's kikaichu, and Kiba's and Akamaru's tracking skills…" Kurenai murmured. Asuma snorted, snubbing his cigarette on the sole of his sandal. "You're lucky. I get the latest Ino-Shika-Cho trio. They work well together, but individually…talk about a handful. A bossy Yamanaka, a lazy Nara, and a glutton Akimichi". There was one Jonin who wasn't very happy though. "I told you I'd be willing to train the Uchiha. Why'd you stick me with the other two?" he asked the Hokage. Sarutobi sighed tiredly at the frustration the younger man was causing. "Is it because you only want Sasuke, Kakashi, or is it because you don't want Naruto?" Hokage-sama, you know why I don't want that…boy on my team", Kakashi said tightly. "Yes, I do. And though you can't accept his innocence, I'm hoping you will learn to. Naruto is so skilled, he could be on any of these teams, unfortunately, and this was the only cohesive arrangement. So, until he makes Chunin, he is on Team 7". And though he couldn't say so, he'd put the boy on Team 7 to keep the Uchiha scion in order. Kakashi sighed in defeat.

"Do not look so down, my hip rival!" Gai shouted, appearing beside the Copy-nin. "Oh, Gai, I didn't see you there", Kakashi said in his usual disinterested tone. But Gai was hardly fazed this time, as he bounced back quickly enough. "Rival, you should feel privileged! You will be teaching someone exploding with potential!". "Oh, yes, Sasuke-". "No! The Uchiha boy has talent, yes, but is limited by the expectations he has of himself and others. I'm afraid that his youthful fires are small, if they even exist at all. I believe he thinks he is the best due to his name, and that belief will stunt his growth". Sarutobi nodded sagely, the Uchiha's psych report showed a chip of inordinate size resting on his shoulders along with a great supply of arrogance. "But no my rival, I do not speak of the Uchiha. I speak of your other student, young Naruto!" Sarutobi's concentration once again shifted to the green, jumpsuit clad Jonin. "So what did you think of him from the test?" Gai rubbed his chin, silently pondering, a rare occurrence to see. "He has great potential, Hokage-sama. He is no genius, but his will to persevere is strong for one his age. I hit him fairly hard a few times, but he never gave up. He even managed to hold his own against me and I was fighting at mid-genin to low-chunin level". Kakashi's eye widened, disbelieving, "Really?" "Indeed. Though, Hokage-sama, when I asked him, he confessed he wasn't using his preferred taijutsu". "Ah, yes", the Hokage muttered. "Sir?" Gai and Kakashi asked in unison. "I've guessed for some time that he'd been working on creating his own style. If I know anything about the boy, it's that it'll be a surprise when we see it", he finished with a hearty chuckle. Gai put forth a question that was on his mind though. "Tell me, Hokage-sama, does the boy use weights yet?" he asked. "During the taijutsu spar, he seemed a little sluggish". Sarutobi looked thoughtful for a second, taking a deep drag from his pipe. Frowning, "I do believe he purchased a set recently". And so the night went, topics ranging from their students to training methods. What irked Kakashi most though was the Hokage's parting words to him, "Be prepared for anything".

Later that night, after the assembled Jonin had left, Sarutobi prepared to call it a night when a knock at the door sounded. "_Who would come at this hour?_", he wondered, feeling slightly annoyed. "Come in", he barked out. The door opened enough for a figure to hobble in. It was a man close to his own age, his left arm in a sling and left eye covered in bandages, as they had been for some time. "Good evening, Hokage-sama". "Ah, Danzo-san…more like good morning at this hour. What can I do for you this early morning?", he asked. Though after several previous attempts by the man, he had a fair idea. The scarred and bandaged man hobbled his way to the chair opposite him and sat down. "I am sorry for the late hour, Hokage-sama. Having just heard about the incident involving the Uzumaki and the Chunin, Mizuki, I was wondering if you'd reconsidered my offer". Sarutobi fought the urge to frown, he'd learned long ago to be wary of anything he revealed to this man. Danzo was a dangerous figure. He was an old warhawk who had never liked his ways. It was his idea that Fire Country, Konoha, should be the most powerful and conquer the other shinobi nations. From the moment the Kyubi had been sealed into Naruto, it had been Danzo's goal to turn him into a living weapon to further his own ideals. It had taken a great deal of effort on his part for Sarutobi to keep that from happening. But Danzo had persisted and approached him with the offer whenever the opportune time arose. Like the time when Naruto'd been attacked at the academy, then when he'd beaten several graduating genin to a pulp defending another academy student, and now, just after he'd graduated the academy. It was standard for the students to be tested by Chunin. Danzo had made a sudden push, and Gai had been asked to replace a teacher during Naruto's test. It was meant to give him a detailed view of the blonde's level, but it had only served to help the boy in finding another person who did not hate him.

"I had hoped that you'd figured out by now that I will never let you turn Naruto into one of your "weapons". I made a promise to look after him and I won't let you get to him". Danzo smiled easily, "You say that but what stops him from joining of his own free will?" He was a bit startled to receive a laugh from the Hokage. "What is the joke that I' appear to have missed?". "Naruto will never agree to join your ranks. I've informed him of your offers and he has answered in few words to the negative, if not some of the more colorful descriptions of your practices", Sarutobi replied, a grin growing on his face. Danzo's remaining eye narrowed, the only sign of his anger, "I will not give up on the boy, Sarutobi", and getting up, turned and left. The door closed, "And I will always stand between you and the boy, Danzo", he said to the empty office.

Outside, "I will have the Kyubi brat, Sarutobi. And if I can't have him, the last Uchiha will be more than willing to come to my side…with the proper incentive", he whispered to himself. Nothing would stop him from rebuilding Konoha into it's proper image, his own. One where Konoha was once more the greatest shinobi village. And either the Uchiha or the Uzumaki would be his weapon of choice, striking fear into the hearts of Konoha's enemies.

Like the morning before, students arrived early for team placement, those that passed. He couldn't help thinking of some of the others as being foolish. Few, if any, knew that, of the graduating genin, only a select few went on. Most would be failed by their sensei and would return to the Academy until next year. He didn't notice exactly when, but Iruka arrived soon, and, after congratulating them at passing the exam, began to announce team lineups. "Team 7: Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha", Iruka read, ignoring the whoop of excitement from the resident pink-haired genin. "Yes! I'm on Sasuke-kun's team!" she cheered. Inner Sakura roared in triumph, "CHA! TRUE LOVE CONQUERORS ALL!". "HA! Take that Ino-PIG!" she jeered, smirking at the blonde girl. "Raarghh! It's not over yet, Forehead girl!" If anyone looked to the back of the room at that moment they would have seen a masked blonde fingering a kunai, tempted to finally end it. And he would be on the same team as her from now on. He wondered for a second if he'd slighted a deity in one of his past lives, maybe giving the finger to Kami at one point. Sighing in defeat he turned his focus back to Iruka. "Team 8…"

"Our sensei is over an hour late", Naruto murmured. "**Him, huh? Better be set for a long wait**", his nechan replied. Truthfully, he needed the time to think. During team assignment, particularly his own, Hinata had given him an odd look when she thought he wasn't looking. There was something in the way she looked at him that made his chest feel tight, a feeling that intensified when she had left, but had not completely faded in her absence. And now he was supremely confused. Meanwhile, his hands were frantically writing, filling up a scroll with new jutsu ideas.

Upon hearing that he'd be on the same team as Sasuke Uchiha, he began to list all his techniques, the ones he'd created and the ones he'd learned, labeling them according to whether or not they required hand signs. Some he could do using reduced hand signs, and a few he could use without any. Not that he was trying to be extremely secretive, but he just didn't like the idea that his teammate could just take his moves if he wanted to. It was his firm policy that if you wanted something, you earned, worked for it with your own sweat and blood. He'd spent years working his ass off creating techniques of his own, often hurting himself in the process of their creation. He made as little mention as possible of the things he'd learned from his sister, in case anyone should get their hands on the scroll. So for the techniques she'd taught him, he wrote only the name and nothing more. Thinking of seal-less techniques though really got his creative juices flowing.

"_Hmm, what about placing seals on my kunai and shuriken so I can retrieve them with chakra strings? Possible…but someone else could take advantage of it, like an opponent who uses chakra strings. Still…_" he wrote it down to think over later. Looking at the list, he saw a shortage of Earth jutsus. The list wasn't long, but he still only had one Earth jutsu and it was a defensive jutsu. He'd have to fill up that area more so he could be more well-rounded, even if the majority of the list was made of Wind jutsus.

Sensing an approaching chakra signature, he put away his notes for later. Just as he stood up, the classroom door opened and a head poked through. "Yo" the silver-haired person spoke, receiving two glares and one mask-covered blank look. "My first impression of you…I'm not impressed" which only caused the pair of glares to increase their power. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes" he said and disappeared in a poof of ninja smoke. Huffing, Sasuke left, followed by a fawning Sakura. Sighing, "I hope the old man knows what he's doing" he muttered. He gave a light chuckle as his sister sent him an image of the Hokage clutching a gigantic bottle of sake. Standing, he made his way after the others to the rooftop.

AN: Well, what do you think so far?


	3. C Rank, The Mission To Wave

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

Chapter 3

Silently, he stood against the railing as Kakashi introduced himself. "The broody one, you next" he said, motioning to Sasuke. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. I have no hobbies or goals. I do have an ambition. I have to kill…a certain person". Sakura was visibly "awww"ing over him, while Naruto and Kakashi were both thinking, "_Well this is kind of what I expected from him_". "**He's a dumbass. And with that kind of ambition, he won't live long**", his sister supplied, voicing her own opinion. "Pinky, your turn". Sakura shook at the nickname. "My name is Sakura Haruno, NOT PINKY. My likes-", she looked at Sasuke and giggled. My dislikes…Ino-pig and Naruto-baka! My goal-", again she looked at Sasuke and giggled, not even hiding her blush. Kakashi turned in his direction, "Alright, you in the mask" the Jonin said, though he could sense the annoyance the man had toward him, in his voice. "**Better not let them know too much**" his nechan suggested. "_Agreed_". Out loud, "Naruto Uzumaki. My hobbies include jutsu creation and training, as well as protecting those precious to me. My likes and dislikes…do not concern you. And as of late, I'm unsure of my future goals". "_Hmm, interesting. Sasuke is obviously hung up on vengeance. The girl, Sakura…a fangirl, Kami help me. Why me? And the vessel, Naruto_", Kakashi's thoughts settled on the blonde. "_I'm not really sure about him. He held back a lot in his introduction. Hokage-sama said he was secretive about his skills. I think he was telling the truth though, about being unsure of his future goals_". Looking back at the trio, he cleared his throat. "Well then, tomorrow we are going to have a survival test". Sakura stood up, "But sensei, we already had the survival test at the Academy". The Jonin's visible eye crinkled into what they could only interpret to be a smile. "You'll love this. The genin exam is only a test to see if you have what it takes to take the genin exam that the Jonin instructors give". He chuckled at the expressions on their faces, well, the one's not wearing a mask. "The tests that the Jonin sensei give have a failure rate of around 60-70 percent, so, really, only three teams will pass. So, tomorrow morning, meet at the bridge in training area 23, at 7 am. Oh, and don't eat breakfast or you'll puke. Later!" and the cycloptic Jonin disappeared in a swirl of leaves left by a Shunshin jutsu.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, do you want to go on a date with me?" Sakura pleaded. The last Uchiha merely grunted and began to walk away. Unfortunately, for him, she didn't pay attention to the sign to leave him alone and began to follow him. Shaking his head, Naruto turned and took off across the rooftops, planning to train.

The following morning, Naruto left for the bridge, thinking about his teammates. It was obvious the girl, Sakura, was more devoted to his other teammate, than to training. The boy, Sasuke, seemed a little unbalanced. And since he was an Uchiha, he'd have to be careful of what techniques he used around him. The same would go for Kakashi. He knew all about his Sharingan eye. He was worried though. Sure they were teammates, and he would protect them with his life, but somehow he didn't get the same feeling from the other two genin. "**I'll always look after you, otouto**", Kyubi said warmly. "_Thank you, nechan. But their attitudes could prove detrimental to future teamwork_".

Arriving, he found he was the first one there. Resigned to wait, he sat against the nearest tree beside the bridge. Taking up the Lotus position, he let his mind wander as he meditated. He had long ago reached the point where he could even enter his sister's environment, and change it's appearance through his own will. He would go there often, sometimes to keep her company, changing the environment to something more pleasant. But now he simply slipped into the limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Unfortunately, when meditating, the concept of time becomes very fluid; you never know how long you are out of it until you "wake up" from it. Which is the scenario the blonde jinchuriki found himself in when someone started yelling at him, bringing him back to the present. "HEY, WAKE UP BAKA!" he found Sakura yelling at him. Tilting his head in confusion, "Yes?" "Finally! What is wrong with you!? Are you mental or something? We've been trying to get your attention for over an hour now!" she finished, a scowl clouding her features. Looking at the still rising sun, he calculated he'd been out for around an hour and a half. On a hunch, he turned to check on his other teammate. The Uchiha showed signs of stress. "_So, she is merely tired of being ignored. That's why she interrupted_". "**More than likely**", snickered his sister, who seemed to find the kunoichi to be absolutely hilarious, that is when she wasn't disgusted by her. Rising to his feet, he stood in silence, the pink-haired girl grumped at his nonresponsive behavior and stalked off. For a second, his senses caused him to search the distant trees. He didn't see anyone, but was sure he'd felt a faint chakra signature. Recognizing it, he whispered, "So what is he up to?"

Nearby, "Damn! He almost caught me!" muttered Kakashi. "_Hmm, so he's pretty good at detection…I wonder if it's because of the fox_?" he thought, pulling out his orange colored book. "Oh well, no rush" and a rosy blush shone on the edges of his masked covered cheek as he read a particularly inventive paragraph. "Oh my…heheh".

45 Minutes Later: "YOU"RE LATE!" shrieked Sakura, earning a small wince from the blonde. Fighting off the ringing in his head, "_Sometimes, nechan, I really wish you'd never enhanced my senses_", he sighed as the pain faded. Kyubi shrugged, "**Who knew a human could be so loud?**", she countered, the connection with her otouto meaning her own ears were ringing just as much from Sakura's shouting. "Man, sorry I'm late. I got lost on the road of life, and then I had to wait in line to buy my new book", he said cheerfully, fondling a bright orange book just like the one he'd had the other day during their introductions. "LIAR!" Sakura screamed, once again earning a wince from the blonde. Secretly, she was only half right. He'd spent the morning at the bookstore waiting for the latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise 2: Volleyball Passion. He'd actually gotten to the bridge an hour ago but decided to observe the genin first. It wasn't a very promising outlook. The group didn't even talk to each other, let alone show signs of cohesion. Still, even if they did fail, he could continue to train the Uchiha in private, as he'd done for the last year and a half. Shifting his attention back to the group, receiving a pair of glares, and one aura of total disinterest from the blonde, he smiled inwardly. "_Let's see what they can do_", he thought.

"OK. The rules are simple. You'll have one hour to take these bells from me, and those who get the bells, pass", he said, producing a pair of scratched up bells on strings. Sakura's hand shot up, "But sensei, there are only two bells!" Smiling underneath his mask, "I guess that means one of you will fail", he said in mock pity. He watched their faces carefully, trying to discern what they were thinking, and waiting to see the usual looks of mistrust and competitiveness. Sasuke was smirking at his teammates like they were weak competition in an easy contest. Sakura exhibited sure fire signs of fear. Inwardly, he sighed, "_Yeah, I can just feel the vibes of teamwork_", he thought sarcastically. Naruto though…Kakashi looked closer. The boy's head was tilted and he was looking at the Jonin as if confused. Then suddenly, he twitched as if he had an epiphany and began to send glances between his teammates. "_Could he have figured it out?_" he asked himself. A dark thought came to mind, "_Of course he figured it out, kitsune tricksters are extremely clever!_", but he shook that thought off. The Hokage had warned him against doing anything…foolish.

"At the end of the hour, whoever doesn't have a bell will be tied to the post and not be allowed to eat". Upon saying that, he heard a trio of growling stomachs sing songs of hunger. "In order to get the bells from me, come at me with the full intent to kill. Those who fail this test will be sent back to the Academy and have to start over. Ready? Go!" he barked, and all three genins were off. "Let the games begin!" he snickered evilly.

Naruto mentally groaned tiredly, both Sakura and Sasuke had pointedly refused his offers of working together. Though he was no longer the smiling, happy child he once was, a part of him still appreciated the humor in the last Uchiha being buried up to his neck. His sister found the image hilarious as her soft laughter filled her valley. Tears of mirth flowing from her crimson eyes, framed by lavish red hair, down her tan cheeks. He often asked why she would go to so much trouble for him as to create a human form for herself. She would just reply that it was easier to hug him that way.

Currently though, he was hard-pressed to think of a way for them to pass. It was obvious that teamwork was the solution to pass the test. If he was right, then the bells were not the goal at all. They were just a distraction to pit the team members against each other. The problem being that his teammates refused to work with him. Well, the least he could do was try to help them, even if they didn't know he was. Creating four shadow clones, he sent a pair to each of his team members. They would hide and watch over them, interfering only if necessary, but primarily, staying out of sight. He would try to get the bells himself, and figure out the rest later. "Here all alone?" the Jonin asked, announcing his presence in the tree branches above him. "_I need to stop daydreaming, I wasn't paying attention and he snuck up right on top of me!_" Naruto thought, annoyed at himself. Out loud, "I'll just have to take care of myself", he sighed, "It's not like my chances could get any worse". Kakashi raised his eyebrow in confusion. Sinking into the looser form of the first stage of his personally created taijutsu style, "Let's go, Kakashi".

He decided that, for now, he would leave his weights on. With them he would barely top out at high genin speed. He felt no need to inform the Copycat-nin that he was at least mid to high-Chunin in speed. Shooting forward he let loose a series of punches at the Jonin's chest and gut, which were easily dodged, and tried for a right leg into his lower left ribs, but were still dodged. "_Well, he is a Jonin, after all_", Naruto thought. Barely avoid a kick to his shoulder, he dropped to the ground, trying to trip up the man with a swipe at his legs. Just like he'd expected, Kakashi escaped by simply jumping over the maneuver. "_Perfect_", Naruto thought. Flipping from the ground onto his hands, he unleashed kicks like a windmill at the Jonin, who had the gall to read during the fight. Each attack was blocked, since he couldn't just dodge. Though Naruto guessed he wouldn't use kawarimi to avoid a basic taijutsu attack.

"_Damn_", Kakashi thought, "_He's actually pretty good. But some of these moves seem…incomplete… Is this what you meant, Hokage-sama?_" He boy was incredibly limber to switch from attacking right-side-up to upside-down as quickly as he had. He had to admit, it was a pretty good on the fly combination, but wasn't too fast. "_He's still wearing his weights?_" the thought actually caused a small chuckle to escape his lips. "_Maybe he'll be more interesting than I thought_". Dodging a vicious kick to the face, he barely avoided the fist headed for his gut.

Still on the offense, Naruto's mind was in overdrive. He could sense his clones nearby, meaning his "teammates", too, were nearby. Sighing internally, "_And still, they don't want to work as a team!_". "Uhoh!" he let out as the Copy-nin had grabbed his ankle mid-kick and thrown him, capitalizing on the blonde's moment of distraction. Using kawarimi, he replaced himself with a log before hitting the ground, preparing for round 2. Unfortunately, the alarm chose this time to ring.

5 Minutes Ago: "How is he doing that?", both Sasuke and Sakura asked themselves. The boy who'd hardly ever stood out, let alone spoke, at the Academy was fairing better than they had against the Jonin. Sasuke's fingernails bit into his palm as he felt the anger rage within him. "_That should be me. I'm an Uchiha, the best. I'm better than that clanless loser_". He silently vowed to himself that he would beat the blonde, proving his superiority to this nobody.

Now: Kakashi shook his head, "I have to say I'm disappointed in you. None of you seemed to realize the true point of this test", he said nonchalantly. "Do you know why genin are put in teams? How about you, Naruto?" he said, testing a guess. The blonde sighed, before his emotionless voice began it's explanation. "The point of the whole test was for all of us to work as a team. The first test was to see if we could overcome our own fear of losing. We were presented with only two bells, leading to the idea that there were only two passes. This was meant to pit us against each other, to see if we could put our competitiveness behind us to work together as a team". Pausing for a second to let all he said sink in, "The chances of a fresh genin, alone, beating an experienced Jonin, well, they're not good, in fact they're laughable. However, a team of genin, working together, should be able to overcome a Jonin level opponent, in theory", he finished, earning looks of shock and annoyance from the other two genin. Kakashi though, was impressed. Still, if they could keep their cool, anyone could figure it out. Silence had filled the clearing once the blonde genin had finished talking, but was soon broken. "You knew?!" Sakura shrieked. "You knew the point of the entire test and you didn't tell us?!" One thing that annoyed him to no end was her volume, as heightened as his senses were; she was really giving him a headache. And the heavy perfume she wore was giving his nose a fit too. It made him wish he didn't wear his mask so he could massage his temples, in an attempt to soothe the aching of his skull. "I tried, Haruno-san. As I recall, you only wanted to work with Uchiha-san, and he believed he could pass on his own". Sakura glared at him, and Sasuke just gave his trademark I-don't-give-a-shit "Hmph". "" Still, I left a pair of my clones with each of you, in case you changed your minds, or help, if need be". "_I wondered how Sasuke got out of that hole so quickly_", Kakashi thought. "_So it's true, he can use Shadow Clones. I'd thought that to be only a rumor_". Kakashi took this moment to point out the large memorial stone. He ended on his sensei's speech of "Those who break the rules are scum…But those that don't care for their teammates are even lower than scum".

"I'm going to give you one more chance. Fail, and you all go back to the Academy". Roping Sakura to the post, "Sakura is not allowed to eat. Once you've finished eating lunch, you'll have one last chance". Disappearing in a poof of ninja smoke, the three were left alone. "_He left us alone and put particular emphasis on the consequences of feeding Haruno-san…Hmm, I think…I think I see_". Sasuke was already opening one of the bentos, as Naruto stood and severed the bonds tying Sakura to the post. She sagged to the ground as the ninja wire fell away, thinking "_What's he doing?!_" Wordlessly, he laid the remaining bento on her lap. "Here, eat as much as you need, I ate breakfast this morning". "But-". "Eat", the Uchiha insisted as well, "We'll all need to be at full strength to get those bells". "Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered in awe, and then began to take bites of the bento, surprised further when her crush gave her half his own bento as well. As if on cue, the sky grew dark, ominous clouds surrounding them. "YOU!" a deep, foreboding voice boomed, the face of an enraged Kakashi appearing from the smoke. "-PASS!" he added cheerfully, his eye curled into what they know believed to be a smile for the masked Jonin.

Naruto stayed behind to train after the others left. Most genin who passed would run home to tell their families in preference to training. But really, his training was all he really had, his only family being Kyubi, who was always within him. Though always having your family with you could get annoying at times. "**Your punch was too slow! Raise your arm another 15 degrees! Put less weight on your rear leg!**" Though the corrections were helpful they really got annoying sometimes. And he could swear at times that she got a kick out of correcting him. "**Damn straight, otouto!**" his sister remarked, reminding him that she could read him all too well.

Cutting off at midnight, he walked the streets of Konoha on his way home. He found the quiet of the sleeping village comforting. It was at night when the village was really at peace. Entering his apartment, though it couldn't really be called one what with the holes in the walls, he stripped out of his dirt encrusted clothes and took a long shower. For him, the ten minutes inn the warm water felt like heaven against his tired and aching muscles. Climbing out, he toweled off and donned a pair of boxers. Crawling onto the worn mattress, "Goodnight, nechan", he whispered, closing his eyes and falling into slumber. "**Sleep well, otouto**", Kyubi returned, her voice soft in his mind as she too settled in to rest for the night.

For the next several months, they did D mission after D mission. They'd caught Tora, the cat of the Daimyo's wife so many times; Naruto was beginning to wonder if it was ethical to continue returning the creature to a place it kept running away from. Still though, so many low level missions were even getting to the blonde. D rank missions were fairly easy, but he began to feel a need to challenge himself, that, and his nechan had made some very convincing arguments about it being more humane to kill the cat.

"Alright, Team 7, your next D rank mission-". "No!" Sakura pleaded, interrupting Iruka. "Now, Sakura, don't interrupt", Iruka chided. "Ji-san", Naruto spoke up, dodging a cuff from Kakashi at being so informal. "I believe my teammate was responding to being given another D rank mission". Sarutobi nodded, "I see, but as you know it is standard for all fresh genin to do D rank missions. Before you can qualify for anything higher, you must do at least 30 D rank missions". "We've done 43", Naruto put forth, causing the Hokage and Iruka to pause and check the records in disbelief. "_Well I'll be…_" Sarutobi thought, reading over Team 7's mission history so far. He sweat dropped when he saw that a quarter of them were missions to find the cat, Tora. "_What is she doing to that cat?_" he wondered. Clearing his throat, "Kakashi, what do you think?" he asked. "I think they can handle a C", the Jonin responded lightly, Sakura giving a loud cheer and Sasuke wearing a confident smirk. "Naruto?" Sarutobi asked curiously. The blonde had been relatively quiet, but the old man found the boy to have a good head on his shoulders. "I think that we will never know until we try one, ji-san", he responded quietly. The Hokage nodded sagely, "Very well, it so happens we have an escort mission to Wave available".

And here they were embarking on their first mission outside of the village. He'd visited with Gai and Lee before leaving, and had been given another set of weights, these for his wrists, to strengthen his arms. Gai was about top give him one of his green spandex training suits, but he felt the urge to leave once he saw the sleeve come out of the bag that Gai was holding. Training with Gai and Lee had become one of the more enjoyable things that he did. There was no serious competition, only the drive to improve oneself. One couldn't look at Lee without being inspired. He couldn't use chakra, but was resolute in proving that he could be a good ninja using only his taijutsu. He had to admit, the two were taijutsu aficionados. When he first broached the topic of a taijutsu style that could be used with or without elemental chakra application, Gai had gone on an hour long spiel on taijutsu styles similar to what he was describing. And so far, with their help, he'd developed a rudimentary version of his style with applied elemental chakra. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. And now, he was puffing under the extra weights given to him, thankful all his other supplies were safely sealed away in a storage scroll.

Turning his head, he looked once more at the man they were escorting. His name was Tazuna, a bridge builder from Wave. He wasn't the nicest of people, he was rude to be precise, but a mission was a mission. "Hey, kid", Tazuna barked out, "Aren't you burning up? What kind of fool wears a cloak on a hot day like this?" Naruto just shrugged in response, "It does not bother me", he replied easily. He would later curse his foolishness for not keeping his attention on the road as two puddles they'd passed erupted into the forms of two Mist nin. Recovering quickly from the shock of not spotting the hidden ninja, he immediately dove to Tazuna's side, just in time for Kakashi to be shredded by the razor wire surrounding him. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried out in shock. Sasuke seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, as he left his position to attack the two attacking nin. Watching him from his defensive position, Naruto couldn't help thinking, "_Reckless…Attacking them head on…I know Kakashi is alive, he's a Jonin. Why does he have to play these games?! To boost Uchiha-san's ego?!_" he thought exasperatedly. He needed to learn patience. Caught up with one of the nins, Sasuke couldn't stop one from getting passed him. Naruto's nose itched; he could smell the poison on the bladed glove's claws, thanks to his enhanced olfactory sense. "_Let's try another approach_". Dodging the swipe aimed at his face, he unsheathed his tanto from within his cloak's sleeve and slammed it down, blade first, through the nin's foot, into the ground. The man gurgled in pain, just before the blonde delivered a bone-breaking palm thrust to his jaw, forcing him to fall back onto the ground, unconscious. Delivering a solid punch to the man's head to make sure he was out, Naruto retrieved his tanto. Cleaning it off and sheathing it, he looked to find Sasuke standing over his own defeated opponent. It was then that Kakashi decided to rejoin them. "Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!" Sakura shouted, hurting her teammates ears as usual. Kakashi just eye-smiled back, saying, "I'm a Jonin. It'll take more than that to kill me", he stated smugly. Looking where their sensei had "died", they saw a shredded log left over from a kawarimi. Tying up the two missing-nin to a tree, Kakashi turned a glare on the bridge builder, "Tazuna-san, we need to talk".

Hinata's POV: She watched as he left on a mission outside the village. Mentally, she chided herself for not being strong enough, still not having courage enough to talk to him. And, how she wished it could be her going on the mission with him. A deep blush spread across her face as she imagined en mission romance between them. Thoughts of her fingers running through his blonde locks and of him holding her close. She could hear her heart in her ears at this point. "Hinata! Come on!" Kurenai-sensei called, startling her from her daydreams. "Stay safe, Naruto-kun. Hurry home", she whispered, thinking hope-filled thoughts of "to me". Sighing, she turned and ran after her team. "_I'll grow strong so you notice me, Naruto-kun_", she thought to herself.

Back With Team 7: They had just been dropped off by a boatman willing to take them into Wave. Currently walking through the fog, Kakashi was still measuring the reactions of his charges when the two "Demon Brothers" attacked. Sasuke had immediately gone on the offensive, his reaction time being fairly good for a genin. He proved to have exceeding kunai accuracy in disabling the razor wire, again, for a genin. Though Kakashi would put him at high genin level. He was a little disappointed, though not really surprised, to see Sakura freeze up like she had. He grimaced, that was a quick way to get killed. She seemed to treat the mission like a camping trip, looking at everything in awe, no suspicion or wariness whatsoever. Her records described her as very intelligent and having a talent at genjutsu. Yet she'd completely ignored the obvious genjutsu. Smart, yes, street smart, not yet. She would have to work hard, and realize a ninja's life wasn't one of glamour.

His resident enigma, the vessel, Naruto, had reacted well. He'd missed the genjutsu, but his records showed only meager genjutsu capability. Still, he'd immediately gone to protect Tazuna, only engaging the nin when he got passed Sasuke and made to attack Tazuna. He had to admit, the blonde's moves had been…effective. The tanto to the foot, he'd have to ask him where he hid it, followed by the palm thrust to the chin. But the boy's speed had been off. If he had to guess, he'd increased his weights recently. Yet still, he'd moved well. He wondered if he knew the weapon was poisoned, the way he dodged it. "Alright, everyone, we'll camp here for the night", Kakashi spoke, and began assigning duties. "We'll reach Wave by tomorrow afternoon. Who wants first watch?" he asked. "I will take it, Kakashi-sensei", Naruto announced. The Hokage had asked him to at least call him "sensei" while the Jonin was his superior. Though as far as Naruto was concerned, he would only call someone "sensei", and mean it, when they proved themselves worthy of the title. And so far, the Jonin had worked more with his two teammates than with him, Sasuke the most, and fleetingly with Sakura. But he would follow the old man's instructions and call him such, even if he didn't believe it to be true. Besides, the thought of being ignored by one's teacher only hurt at first. It didn't really affect him too much since he had a powerful secret sensei, two actually. He'd only known about his sister, but there was another who taught him in secret, sending him scrolls. And he'd trained himself all these years anyway.

Everyone pitched their tents for the night. All except for Naruto. Unrolling his storage scroll, he summoned a smaller scroll from within. Going over the list of jutsus he'd made Sharingan proof, he updated the list with more theories and ideas. Recently, he began thinking about combination jutsus. The idea was hinted to him by his sister, specifically how he couldn't use his wind element to defend against fire jutsus. Well, not couldn't. It could be done, but to overcome the elemental weakness, the weaker element would have to be a more powerful attack. The point was that the fire attack would grow stronger if countered by a wind attack. But if the wind attack was of a higher level, it would crush the elementally stronger, fire attack. Now, he was looking over all the jutsus he knew, trying to think of any and all possible combinations. His repertoire of fire jutsus was fairly limited. He knew the Grand Fireball Jutsu, learning it from one of his after hours trips to the shinobi library.

"Do you want something?" he asked quietly, looking up. Sitting on a branch above his own was Kakashi, looking down at him curiously. "That's quite the list. Some of the ideas are sound as well". Naruto rolled up the scroll and put it in a pocket in his cloak. "You know, unless you're here to relieve me of watch, or put wood on the fire, you should be sleeping, too", the masked blonde spoke quietly. Kakashi just opened his book, "I was wondering if I could talk to you". "I'm sure I won't be left alone unless I answer", the blonde replied in annoyance. He didn't really want to talk with him. It was pushing it for them to be on the same team. He'd learned long ago that the copynin disliked him. If he had to guess, besides containing Kyubi, it was because he bore a passing resemblance to his father. And the Jonin, only knowing that his sensei had sacrificed himself to seal Kyubi into some orphan, hated him for it. "I was just wondering, that fight with the Mist missing-nin…you knew his weapon was poisoned, how?" "The same way I can tell you've been training Uchiha-san in your off hours, for at least a year now", he answered. Kakashi's eye widened drastically, "What?!" Naruto stared back at him. "I could smell the poison. Just as I could smell the similar scents on you both, as if you two had trained with each other. I know it's been for sometime now, since his fighting style bears similar characteristics to yours". Kakashi's eye narrowed dangerously, "Who am I talking to now?" he hissed coldly. The blonde snorted, one of the few shows of emotion he'd given. "You're talking to me. My nechan gifted me with her senses to protect me from fools who might do me harm. As I said, the mist-nin's gauntlet reeked of poison, that's how I knew", he finished. Kakashi visibly sagged at the blonde's statement. It proved him to be jaded, but not a demon. "Are we done? Or do you want to interrogate me further?" Naruto asked icily. Immediately, Kakashi felt the slightest pang of guilt. He knew and trusted the power of the Yondaime's seal, and yet he was prepared to attack, thinking he was Kyubi. Clearing his throat, "No, that's it really. I'll be relieving you in 3 hours". Jumping from the branch, he made his way to his sleeping bag by the fire. The small part of him that felt sorry for the boy chided him for his outright rudeness. But like all other emotions he was able to suppress it, feeling no remorse for his actions. Another part of his mind hovered around the content of the boy's scroll. Some of the ideas were ones that ninja weren't exposed to until they reached Jonin rank. He would really have to push Sasuke in their training. "_Hmm, I maybe I should push weights on him_", he mused quietly to himself.

Sakura was shaken awake by Kakashi-sensei, telling her it was time to pack up and leave. She looked to see her Sasuke-kun was awake and walking around being so cool. "_So…cool_", she thought dreamily. At first, she couldn't find her other teammate. He was nowhere in sight. "Kakashi-sensei, where is the mute baka?" "Naruto? Oh, he's still asleep. Why don't you wake him for me", he suggested. After their little talk, he didn't want to see if he harbored any bad feelings toward him, deciding to give him some space. He figured it would be better for Sakura to do the waking for now.

Seeing that he was still sleeping while they were awake annoyed her to no end. She giggled darkly, now was the time to see what he hid under that mask. Using a little chakra, she jumped lightly to the limb next to his. Pulling herself up slowly and silently, so as not to disturb the sleeper. She, looking into the blank-masked face, reached her hand forward, ready to yank off the mask. The kunai at her throat stopped her from moving any further. "What are you doing, Haruno-san?" her masked teammate asked. She wanted to hit him for not letting her see, but was still as stone due to the kunai. "Again, what are you doing?" the boy asked, removing the kunai from it's position at her throat a second later. He'd only slept for a few hours, entering a sleep beyond dreams. Now, he'd been awoken by the use of chakra nearby and the smell of a flowery shampoo. Instinct took over and the kunai he'd kept in his hand while sleeping, a habit that had saved him many times from villager attacks, shot to the throat of the person sneaking up on him. He didn't realize who it was until he opened his eyes a moment later. Doing so, he noted that Sakura's hand was inches from his mask, "_So that's it_", he thought. Out loud, "What are you doing, Haruno-san?" she didn't say anything so he asked again, remembering to put away the kunai. A big mistake, he realized.

He could tell she was pissed, a large vein standing out on her forehead, and her left eye was twitching dangerously. "Baka! What were you trying to do? Kill me?" she shrieked. Pocketing his weapon, "My mistake, Haruno-san. It is an old habit of mine", he said while climbing to his feet. Watching the blonde, she stopped herself from pounding on him. Inner Sakura was cracking her knuckles, shouting "_I'll get him for that later! CHA!_". "Alright everyone, time to go", Kakashi announced.

AN: Well, that's the end of chapter 3. Sorry that my chapters haven't been very long, I'm going to try and make the chapters longer in the future. Please review!


	4. Plans and Compromises

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

Chapter 4

"Nechan, this fog…feels weird", thought Naruto. "**There's chakra in the air, dispersed through the fog**", she responded. He frowned, "Kakashi-sensei, something smells off", he whispered to the Jonin. The Copynin, much to his annoyance, ruffled his spiky blonde hair, replying in a whisper "I know, stay alert", his eye smiling like nothing was wrong. The only ones not aware, as far as he guessed were Haruno-san, Uchiha-san, and Tazuna-san. He mentally inventoried all weapons he had with him; where they were and which he could reach fastest. He settled on the tanto up his sleeve, and the wakizashi strapped to his lower back. He preferred kunai, but old man Sarutobi had told him to learn several weapons. He was good with kunai and shuriken, even being passable with senbon if necessary. If he needed to, he could use his two blades, but usually saved them for when he needed them, most often just sticking with kunai. He simply hoped whatever was here, that he'd be ready.

They continued walking along for another mile when Kakashi yelled "Get down!" Sasuke pulled Tazuna to the ground and Kakashi did the same to Sakura, leaving Naruto to drop to the ground, avoiding the huge blade that passed over. "_That was quite surprising_", he thought sarcastically. Truth be told, the near miss shook him. It had passed inches from his face. It had been moving at incredible speed. "**How many times do I have to tell you? If you don't watch your head, you'll lose it!**" his sister groused. "_I'm trying, nechan_".

The sword had embedded itself in a tree ahead of the group. More noticeably, there was a figure standing upon it. The man in question wore a Mist hitai-ate, but besides that everyone only really noticed his killing intent, his aura screaming of death. "Well, well, the great Kakashi Hatake…the Sharingan ninja. And here I thought I wouldn't get any fun", he chuckled darkly, sounding almost insane. Kakashi stepped in front of their group, "Zabuza Momoichi…the Demon of the Mist", Kakashi responded lazily, though Naruto could clearly see signs of the Jonin feigning his relaxed attitude. "Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto…watch over Tazuna. This opponent is out of your league". Sasuke seemed about to protest, but was stopped by Kakashi's interruption. "No, stay here…I can't believe I have to use this so soon, but it's unavoidable", spoke the copynin as he pulled up his hitai-ate to uncover his left eye. "The Sharingan…and so early. I'm flattered", spoke Zabuza, his voice thick with mockery. In an instant both Jonin had disappeared in the light fog. The only signs of their fight being the sounds of clashing metal. Sensing a foreign chakra signature behind them…Zabuza! He could also sense Kakashi rapidly approaching as well, but not soon enough. Shoving Tazuna as hard as he could into Sasuke and Sakura, they avoided the attack. He grunted in pain as the edge of the huge zanbatou sliced deeply into his left ribs. His hand over the large cut, he stood and glared at the missing-nin. "Well…you're different", Zabuza sneered. Truthfully, the ex-Mist-nin was surprised the kid was still standing, even more so that he took the hit and didn't seem to be effected at all. He hadn't expected the downright defiance in the boy's eyes, there was no fear, of him, of death. It was then, Kakashi attacked with a kunai. The man laughed darkly as he dissolved into a pool of water. "A water clone…Are you alright?". "I am", Naruto replied curtly. Though it had cut into his lung, Kyubi was rapidly healing the major damage, the more superficial area healing at a much slower pace, so he was still losing some blood.

Moving back with his teammates and the old man, he was greeted by a glare of annoyance from the Uchiha and looks of horror from his female teammate and the old man. "What?" he asked calmly. Sakura pointed her shaking hand at his abdomen. Confused, he looked down, and saw a large portion of his cloak had been stained by blood, his own. "It is merely blood", he sighed, of course his team wasn't ready for an assignment of this level. "You're bleeding!" Sakura shouted. Naruto nodded, "Yes, and I will heal. But for now…" he took out his tanto and got into a defensive position in front of Tazuna.

Kakashi and Zabuza took the fight to the surface of the nearby lake. Dispatching a water clone, the Sharingan user made as if to move but found the water he was standing on was almost sticky. "The water, it's-". "Hah, you fool, I got you! Water Prison Jutsu!" laughed Zabuza. Kakashi tried to escape, but was unable to as he was encased in a sphere of water. He was stuck. As long as he had chakra, he could take oxygen from the water, but his chakra stores wouldn't last forever. "_Damn_", he thought. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed. "Go!", he shouted, "You have to run! As long as he holds me here, he can't come after you. So take Tazuna and run!" Naruto frowned, whether to stay and try to free the Jonin or to flee. Both offered little chance of success, let alone survival. Their chances were best with their sensei, one Jonin to cancel out the danger presented by another Jonin. He could see Tazuna shaking in fear. He was the mission, but Sarutobi-ojisan had taught him that only cowards and scum chose the mission over their own team. "_This is going to hurt. I hope your ready, nechan_", he thought to his sister. Stepping forward, "We cannot, Kakashi-sensei", he spoke, loud enough for him to hear. "That's an order, Naruto!" Kakashi barked, his voice distorted by the watery prison. "Our chances of survival are greatly decreased without you. The only chance we have-", he said, turning to Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna, "-is to free you. Otherwise, we are dead anyway". Sasuke looked dubious, but nodded in agreement, though Sakura still seemed filled with uncertainty and fear. Tazuna wilted, "Go on then, save your sensei". Stepping forward with Sasuke, "Haruno-san, guard Tazuna-san…Are you ready, Uchiha-san?"

Kakashi ground his teeth; they weren't ready for an opponent like this! His captor, merely laughing, formed a one-handed ram seal, creating a new water clone. The clone, while weaker than the original, still knocked around the genin like a pair of flies. And then his blonde student dropped his weights…Watching, he could swear the boy was moving at nearly mid-Chunin level speed. Gai had said the kid had been training with him in his free time, but this was just astounding. His pride in the boy was momentary as Zabuza, using his sword like a club, hit the boy solidly in the chest and face, knocking him into the brush, the sound of something breaking, hovering in the air. Sasuke wasn't faring well either. At the moment, Zabuza had him pinned to the ground, his boot grinding into the boy's chest. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted fearfully.

An explosion of smoke erupted from the brush and trees, a horde of blondes shooting into the clearing, followed by the original walking at a more sedate, albeit fatigued pace. Kakashi's eyes widened, as did those of Team 7 and Tazuna. The breaking sound had been the boy's mask. His face was now, for the most part, revealed and was sporting a bloody nose, seen as a pool of blood soaking through a cloth mask like the one Kakashi wore. Moreover, he radiated anger. "That hurt", the boy grit out, readjusting the broken nose with a sickening "click". In his other hand, he held a collapsed Shadow Shuriken. The blondes, dive-bombing the Zabuza clone, but still being wiped out, distracted him enough for Sasuke to escape and fall back to stand next to the original blonde. "Are you brats done yet?" the real Zabuza growled. Handing the Shadow Shuriken to Sasuke, Naruto launched himself at the clone with renewed vigor.

Sasuke's POV:

"_What's he doing? Why'd he give-_", then Sasuke noticed the difference in the shuriken. "_So that's it. Not bad, Naruto_", he thought, impressed with the blonde. While his blonde teammate distracted the clone, Sasuke prepared for his attack. Opening the shuriken, the blades clicked into place. "Demon Wind Shuriken!" he shouted, launching it at his target. The weapon flew through the air, missing the Zabuza clone by inches, it's path taking it toward the real missing-nin. "Clever", Zabuza chuckled. "Aiming for my real body instead of the clone". Keeping his hand in the water prison to keep Kakashi imprisoned, he caught the giant shuriken with his free left hand. "You can't expect to beat me with a single shuriken". Sasuke smirked, "You're right". Zabuza's survival instincts shot into action as he jumped to avoid the second shuriken, "A second shuriken, hidden in the shadow of the first! The Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" The shuriken passed right under him, where he'd been standing. "Brats, I told you, you can't beat me like that!" he growled out. Sasuke though, held his smirk. "POOF". Hearing the explosion behind him, Zabuza turned to see it was the shuriken that had exploded, and from the smoke came the familiar figure…the blonde! But he was fighting his clone! Of course, a Shadow Clone! The boy, still flying, threw several kunai at him, aimed fro his arm. "_Dammit!_" he thought, pulling the appendage out of the way just in time, landing in the water. "Little brat!" he spat and brought the real shuriken around to throw it at the blonde. Making to throw it, the spinning of the shuriken ceased, and Zabuza gaze fell on a very angry Kakashi.

Back With Naruto:

The two resumed their battle, though now that the fog had cleared, Kakashi made full use of his Sharingan eye. It ended when Kakashi beat Zabuza to the punch and used a "Water Vortex Jutsu" to send the missing-nin into a tree, hard. And Kakashi was prepared to land the killing blow when several senbon shot out of nowhere to embed in the ex-Mist-nin's neck, killing him. Naruto couldn't help but think something felt funny about the Hunter-nin. Putting it to the back of his mind for now, he strapped his weights back on, almost too tired to stand back up. When no one was looking, he'd checked the cut to his chest. It was healing nicely, but he doubted it would finish until the next morning.

To everyone's dismay, Kakashi passed out from chakra exhaustion. Sighing tiredly, he managed to put the man over his shoulder, carrying him the rest of the way. He was being given odd looks from his teammates, but was too sore to notice. Well, and also because his sister was fussing about him, specifically his injuries. He may heal rapidly, but that did little for the pain, though fatigue never lasted very long for him. So for several hours, he zoned out as they trudged to Tazuna's home, Sasuke and Sakura watching for further annoyances. Unfortunately, the pink-haired genin didn't so much guard as she fawned over the Uchiha's brilliant plan with the Shuriken, also saying it was good that he had actually done something useful.

By the time they reached their destination his stamina was all but gone. The old Naruto would have felt hurt at not being offered any help carrying the heavy man, but the Naruto he'd grown into knew it was better this way. He and Kakashi were too tired to fight, leaving the other two, and they would need to be alert. Opening the door, Tazuna let them into the medium sized house. "Grandpa!" someone yelled before bowling into the old man. "You're back!" the child shouted happily. "Haha, Inari", the old man said, hugging his grandson affectionately. He introduced the members of Team 7 to his daughter, Inari's mother, Tsunami. Naruto had to admit, from a first glance, he'd rarely seen a more motherly, and naturally beautiful, woman. Though the image of Hinata Hyuga came to mind and he had to shake his head to keep it clear and focused as he fought his exhaustion. Tsunami just radiated a maternal warmth and kindness. For the briefest moment, he felt jealous of the boy, Inari, for having a mother. But he felt happy, knowing that the little boy still had a mother.

Tsunami-san lead them to a room where he could put down his sensei. He had just laid Kakashi on the mat when his body began to give out. His vision fading, he stumbled to the wall, where he collapsed, his back against it. The last things he heard were Haruno-san's and Tsunami-san's shocked shouts, but was too tired to answer. "**Just rest, otouto**", he heard his sister whisper. "**You've had a big day**", she said before he surrendered to slumber, and a hopeful rest without nightmares.

Giving a small groan, he opened his eyes. He was still in the room with Kakashi, but had been moved. He was on a mat under a worn blanket, which he realized was surely stained from his blood as well. His chakra was fully restored, and all his injuries healed. Whereas most ninja suffering from chakra exhaustion or fatigue could be laid out for days, for him, a little rest and he was good to go. Quietly, he thanked his sister for healing him. Or at least he tried to. In his mind, she was snoring loudly while sleeping on a big beanbag. On his feet, he saw through the window that the sun was up, and if he had to guess, it was a little before noon. He used his nose to direct him to where the others were, which turned out to be the dining area. "Good morning, Naruto-kun", Tsunami greeted him cheerfully, wearing a warm smile. "And to you as well, Tsunami-san", he replied. "What do you think you're doing up?!" Sakura asked exasperatedly. "I am fully recovered", he answered simply. "Bull! That guy nearly cut you in half! And you could barely move!". "I heal quickly", ignoring the curious look the Uchiha was giving him. Wondering why Tazuna and Tsunami were looking at him uneasily, he asked them what was wrong. "Well, Naruto-kun-", Tsunami answered, feeling a bit embarrassed. "-You're covered in blood". "Oh", indeed, now that he paid attention, he could feel the crusted blood on his face, neck, and chest. "May I use your bathroom?"

After being shown to the small room, he stripped and showered, cleaning off all traces of blood. Inspecting the wound from Zabuza, he found only a pink scar, already fading. From his storage scroll, he pulled out a spare set of clothes. Unfortunately, there was little he could do for his mask or his cloak. The mask he had made himself was in pieces in the pocket of his cloak. There was no way it could ever be used again. The cloak was the only one he had, never thinking he would need more than one. It now was literally half the cloak it once was as everything from chest level down was shredded and stained in his blood. But it was his mask that he would really miss, and the protection it offered. Still, at least he still had several other cloth masks, like Kakashi's, and for now, they would have to do. Pulling on his clothes, he sealed his used ones in either a waste or storage space in the scroll. Replacing his hitai-ate upon his left bicep, he left the bathroom to return to the others.

Entering the kitchen and dining room, there was complete silence. He found Tsunami and Sakura both staring at him in disbelief. He was wearing a green pocketed vest over a black t-shirt covering toned, wiry muscles, and a narrow, muscular build, Chunin style pants wrapped tightly at the ankles with bandages, his arm and leg weights hidden beneath the bandages. His hair hung limp, as it had ever since the trauma of his accident, thought it did little to hide the dulled sparkle of his blue eyes. "What?" he asked them, confused by their reactions. "_My, he's pretty good looking. Underneath all that blood and without the cloak…And what beautiful blue eyes_" Tsunami thought, a pink tinge on her cheeks. While inside Sakura, she and her inner self shared the same thought, "_Damn…not bad. But Sasuke still looks better, Cha!_".

Sitting at the small table, he used a small genjutsu, which allowed himself to pull down his mask and eat, under the illusion of it still being in place. It was one of the few he could actually perform, need for it forcing him to learn it. Though it didn't really count since it was a kitsune illusion, not a normal genjutsu. He quickly noticed that his food, while very good, was made using only the bare minimum of ingredients. Frowning, he thought of the best way to ask his question. "Tsunami-san, are things really so bad?" She had her head bowed in sadness, "I'm afraid so. Things have been…difficult, ever since Gato came here", she said, barely holding back her tears. "Yeah, well, he's never faced ninjas like Sasuke-kun before!" Sakura pronounced proudly, beaming at her dark-haired teammate. "Things will change, Tsunami-san", Naruto reassured. Getting to his feet, his mask back up, kitsune genjutsu dropped, "I'm going to recon the area", he said quietly. "We should wait for orders from Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura suggested. "Yeah", Sasuke added, finally speaking. "You couldn't handle the last guy", he jeered. But instead of getting a reaction, the blonde just gave him a disinterested, blue-eyed stare. And though he wore a cloth facemask, like Kakashi, they had enough experience where they could see the blonde hadn't moved a single facial muscle. Without another word he turned and left, leaving his still dubious teammates. Once outside, he patrolled the area with his clones. He sent a pair to hunt on suggestion from his sister. If he had to guess, the cupboards in the house were in need of filling. The clones would search for wild game and gather any herbs and roots they could find. With any luck, he could ease the situation on them.

Once the clones he'd sent to gather information dispelled, he went over what they'd seen. The village was a mess. Children and adults were in the streets asking for handouts. Those that were able to maintain their businesses were barely able to do so. The shops were practically empty and the town bore an aura of depression, of a broken spirit. It was a sight that brought forth deep anger in the normally composed blonde. His thoughts of the man responsible, Gato, were becoming murderous. It was the idea that he'd done it all for money, for personal that really bothered him. A lesson the Hokage had said was very important was that there were people who would step on any and all in their path for the sake of greed. "_Gato must be stopped_", he spoke. "_But, even if the bridge is completed-_", he began to say. "**He will either destroy it or control it**", Kyubi finished. His sister was the one to come up with the solution. "**I think it's time we finished ****that**** project, otouto…You may need the help**". His eyes widened, he'd completely forgotten about their joint project. "Soon", he whispered.

Meeting up with his hunting clones on the way back to Tazuna's, he found they'd been fairly successful. A great stroke was the deer over one's shoulder, the other carrying an armful of wild yams and tubers. They dressed the deer out there so as not to mess up Tsunami's kitchen and trekked on back.

There were looks of shock all around as the trio of blondes entered the house. Though attention soon shifted to all that he was carrying. Sakura had screamed bloody murder at the skinned deer over his shoulder. He and Tsunami went to work slicing the meat up and storing it. One of the clones had decided to dismiss himself, leaving the remaining clone to clean the wild herbs and vegetables, even hanging a few to dry. A pot was already boiling as meat and vegetables were tossed in, Tsunami thought happily that it was the biggest meal they'd had for some time. "Thank you, Naruto-kun", she spoke again. And just as he had said after the last two "thank you", he simply gave a small tilt of his head and replied with a quiet, "You're welcome". Their cooking was interrupted by Sasuke making his presence known with a grunt. "Yes, Uchiha-san?" he inquired. "Kakashi-sensei's awake. He wants to see us". Washing his hands in the sink, hastily drying them, "Thank you. Excuse me, Tsunami-san". Leaving, he noticed the dark haired boy trying to stand in his way, but slid to the side in mid-stride.

The Uchiha, annoyed at the failed confrontation, eyes narrowed in annoyance. He wouldn't be able to test himself against the blonde yet, but he wouldn't give up. The blonde, Naruto, was a mystery to him. In the academy, he was considered a dobe as he never spoke and barely did average in his scores. When the teams were assigned, he'd counted on not having any challenges whatsoever, from what he'd seen of the two. He remembered the disappointment he felt, not expecting anyone who could challenge him. But now, after seeing the blonde in action, against the missing-nin and then against Zabuza…how strong was he, really? He was an Uchiha, so he couldn't be better than himself. The wiser part of his brain told him though to be wary of the boy as he gave off an aura of readiness and experience. "_Hmmph, yeah right. He's just the dobe. I'm Uchiha, the best, he can't be better than me. I must be nuts for even thinking he was strong_", he thought sarcastically, smirking and following after.

"Well, I hear you've been busy", sounded the cheery, but tired voice of Kakashi. The Jonin seemed to pale somewhat, seeing his revealed face, but was quick to hide his reaction. Naruto paused for a second, thinking of what he meant. The obvious explanation was that Sakura had told him what he'd been up to. Not that he'd done anything wrong. Information of one's surroundings was vital on any mission. "Indeed, I have". Kakashi nodded, "So what have you found out about the area?" he asked. Naruto apprised him of his findings, but decided to keep his guesses about what Gato might do, to himself until the Jonin was recovered or until the need arose.

"Hmm, so things are that bad…Well, all things considered you have all done surprisingly well, especially considering your opponent was a Jonin who was once one of the Seven Swordsman of Mist". Sakura practically radiated pride at her sensei's compliment, looking to her teammate and crush, smiled winningly at him. He blatantly ignored her, as he always had before, uncaring, not that she ever took the hint. "There is a problem though", Kakashi began. "What's that, sensei?", Sakura asked. "Well, it would seem that Zabuza is still alive". "…WHAT?!" Sakura and Sasuke shouted. "_That makes sense_", Naruto thought. "_What better escape plan than a planned death. The Hunter-nin…of course_". Kakashi slumped against the wall he was leaning against; this mission was not going as planned. "That hunter-nin, what weapon did he use?" he asked them. Sasuke was the one to answer, "Senbon needles". "Exactly. He used a weapon that is not very practical for assassinations. And remember, they struck Zabuza in the neck. Senbon are used more often to disable the enemy. It's rare to see them used to kill. Chances are that that Mist Hunter-nin was working with Zabuza, and he is still alive and healing", the Jonin added. "So…what now, sensei?" Sakura asked. The Copynin smiled, "I'm going to train you. You've shown improvement, but there is still more training needed. Naruto, Sasuke, you two have shown the most growth", he spoke, the kunoichi forgetting not being noticed once her crush's name was mentioned, at which point she once more started to fawn over him. "But sensei, you can barely move!" Sakura protested. Sasuke though was more interested in the training. "What will we be learning?" Kakashi smiled back at his students through his mask, "That'll be a surprise. Get some rest, you three. Tomorrow morning, we train".

"_Kukuku_", the cold, dark laughter echoed, visions of what he remembered flashing before his eyes. Pain-filled memories of the torturous two days of consciousness from his weeklong session with Mizuki and the stranger. He shot awake, kunai in his hand. He was breathing hard and shaking, his entire body drenched in sweat; remembering where he was, and not sensing any enemies, he put away the kunai back under the blanket. Slipping on a pair of worn pants, he quietly left the room.

Lying on the roof, he stared out across the small inlet as it was bathed in soft moonlight. It had taken a while, but finally his heart rate was back to normal. It was always that nightmare. It was more often he had nightmares than dreams, as he had only a small amount of happy memories for dreams. The dreams he did have were more often than not about time spent with the old man, Hokage-jisan, or with his sister. Though sometimes, of his rare dreams, he would dream of a faceless figure. A figure that he felt completely safe with, one that filled him with warmth. But tonight…tonight was the typical nightmare. And that twisted cruel laughter which always woke him in the middle of the night. It was a voice that both terrified him and evoked a great anger.

"Trouble sleeping?" came from behind him. He heard the Jonin grunt wearily as he sat down next to him on the rooftop. There was also a clattering sound as he placed his makeshift crutch next to him. "Just a dream", he answered, his voice barely above a hushed whisper. The Jonin could hear the repressed sadness in his voice. He did well in hiding it but he wasn't a Jonin for nothing. Trying to continue the conversation, "That was a good idea, doing recon on the area while I was out". He just stayed quiet, staring out over the water, his eyes locking on the moon most of the time. He loved to let his senses have free reign at times like this. "Do you really think a week of extra training can get them ready for an opponent like Zabuza and his Hunter-nin?" he asked, speaking for the first time since Kakashi'd first gotten there. "_Them?_ What about you?". "I know I'm not ready for an opponent of his level", Naruto answered, still not looking at the grey-haired man. "But I'll face him if I have to. And, I have several aces up my sleeve". "Do you now? Care to share? After seeing that list of yours I was wondering if you wouldn't mind teaching the group a few of your moves-". "You mean teach Uchiha-san", he corrected the man. Kakashi coughed uncomfortably, "Well, maybe". Speaking up in a cold voice, "I will not teach the Uchiha any of my moves just to support his lust for vengeance". "Why not, most of the theories on your scroll are sound ideas. I could help you in exchange", the older man offered. "Thanks but my sister wouldn't like that", he answered, more for himself than her, though she didn't like the idea either. The Jonin paused for a second, "Sister? Your file says you're an orphan". "Kyubi-nechan is my sister, just as she is my sensei".

Kakashi mimicked a fish out of water, his mouth gulping but saying nothing out of shock. He was learning from Kyubi? Kyubi was a girl? Did the Hokage know? Was this dangerous? "You-You've been learning from Kyubi?" he finally choked out. The idea of a genin being taught by a demon lord was…astounding. If he could get the boy to pass on what he'd learned to his other students, they could become a force to be reckoned with. "I have. She has been teaching me for some time now". "Are you sure you can trust her?" Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared coldly back at his "sensei". "If you are worried, the Hokage knows and has not objected. Either way, I expect you to inquire about it when we return. If it is a matter of distrust, you do not know the full story of the attack on Konoha. More importantly, I am more inclined to trust someone who saved my mind, has shown love for me, and has healed me, whereas most of the human members of the village have tried over and over to kill me". Kakashi jerked as if slapped at what the blonde had said. "The only humans I trust are Hokage-ojisan, a few villagers, and a few shinobi". "That's…understandable", Kakashi said quietly. In retrospect the boy had more reason to trust the demon within him than the people around him. "But I could use your help in training Sasuke. Besides, once his Sharingan awakens, it will be hard to hide your personal jutsus from him". Turning back to his moon gazing, "Uchiha-san walks a dark path, and my jutsus were created with the intention of protecting others. I would prefer that the jutsus I spent years creating to not be perverted by his petty desires for revenge. And as for his doujutsu, and yours…I've already figured it into my training. Quite a few of my jutsus have been learned to the point of reduced hand signs. That, I believe, is a problem for the Sharingan. Also, it might be dangerous for him to try them as a few rely heavily on the wielder's chakra capacity". Kakashi's eye widened in surprise at the boy's insight into the weakness of the Sharingan. He was also surprised at his statement of jutsu mastery. It took months, sometimes even years, to master a jutsu so that you could use reduced hand signs or sometimes no hand signs at all. Then again, with his Shadow Clones, he could train for a few weeks and have years of accumulated experience, if his chakra capacity were indeed that large. "_How strong is he, really?_" he wondered. "Still, you can't keep hiding things like this-" "I know. While I was unconscious either Haruno-san or Uchiha san took my scroll" "I'm surprised you haven't gone to get it back", Kakashi asked surprised. "They will find it a bit…difficult to open", the blonde answered, a hint of mirth in his voice. "You haven't booby-trapped it, have you?" "No, but it was recommended that I study seals. And I'd like to think I've learned enough to protect what is mine. The seal on that scroll makes it unable to be opened without my blood and rather unique chakra". "A blood seal? That's pretty advanced stuff" "I learn quickly when I have to", he answered simply.

This was really more than he'd meant to reveal, but it was too late now and he was tired and distracted. "Again, do you really think a week of extra training will help? Uchiha-san, maybe…but Haruno-san..." he shook his head. "You have done little to show her the truth of a ninja's life. It is her that I am worried for. At her current level, her chances of survival are horrifically low. At her current level, sending her to fight is a death sentence, are you prepared to take responsibility for that, Jonin-san?" Kakashi twitched at the title thrown out there, the boy was right. He'd concentrated on Sasuke and been fairly negligent towards Sakura. Sure he'd shown her a genjutsu or two, but he'd done little to show her that a kunoichi's life was not some fun, glamorous thing. He would need to push her hard to bring her level up.

"Well, don't stay out too late. Training starts early tomorrow", Kakashi said. He nodded in response. "I will be ready", he answered back. At his sister's insistence, he compromised. "Kakashi-sensei, I will consent to a trade. There are jutsu that my sister does not know, nor can they be found in Konoha. And it is a…hobby of mine, to take jutsu and combine them. A jutsu for a jutsu, as long as it is the entire group that learns, but what I teach I will choose", he said out loud before the Jonin could leave earshot. There were some things, his sister agreed, that she couldn't teach him, and that was jutsus. And the Jonin knew quite a few non-fire country jutsus. "I suppose I can agree to that", Kakashi agreed, it was more than he'd expected after the blonde's statement regarding his teammate. "We'll sort out the fine details later". He listened for the Jonin's retreat before leaning back against the roof to continue his sky watching. . "**Nosy fool**", his sister growled. "_It couldn't be helped. I knew he might ask something like that. Besides…_", Kyubi sensed the growing smile, a rare feature on the blonde. "_That jutsu Kakashi-sensei used; the Water Dragon Missile. I think I've come up with an idea for it._" "**So…are you going to get your scroll back?**" "_In the morning_", he sighed, letting the sounds of the night relax his frayed nerves.

AN: Well, that's the end of Ch.4. I plan to update weekly to give myself time to write further ahead.


	5. Planning Ahead, And An Emo's Temper

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

**_Hello_**/Demon or Summon Thought

Chapter 5

The following morning, Team 7 followed it's hobbling sensei into the small patch of forest nearby Tazuna's. Sakura had gone into a snit over how his weights, his arm weights out in the open, were useless; him never being better than her Sasuke. Her sharp voice in close proximity being enough for him to grit his teeth. But from the sidelines Sasuke's suspicions about his teammate continued to grow. And the entire trip through the woods, he could feel the Uchiha's questioning gaze. They continued to walk for sometime in silence through the dense trees. With the comment of "Ah, this will do", Kakashi called a halt and turned to face his students. "For the next week you're going to be working on your chakra control". "Chakra control? How is that going to help us when Zabuza returns?", he asked, feeling that this was just a waste of his time. "Yeah, sensei, we learned to control our chakra in the academy! You need to teach Sasuke-kun and us strong jutsu!", the fangirl on the team protested on behalf of her obsession. "Trust me, chakra control is the most important thing I can teach you right now". Sakura looked back in confusion, "What do you mean, sensei?" she asked sounding skeptical. "In a fight, it's not just the jutsu you use that makes all the difference. Most often the winner is the one with better chakra control. All three of you can mold and use chakra, that's true, but you're wasting so much. You most of all Naruto", he said turning to his masked student. "I won't deny the truth in that", Naruto replied, seeing the look of superiority from Sasuke. He couldn't deny it. If his and Kyubi's guess was correct he would never be able to go beyond Jonin level chakra control, and it would take a very long time to reach it.

Sasuke grinned at hearing the "dobe" had the worst chakra control. "_How could I have thought he was a challenge to me?!_". He would show them all who the best was, just as he would become strong enough to take vengeance for his clan against him. "_Oh well, maybe he'll make a good stepping stone until then, just like Sakura_", he wondered with a smirk and sinking deeper into his emo.

"Now as I was saying, for the next week you'll be working on your chakra control. And to that I just have one task for you", all leaned forward in anticipation. "Climb trees…and without using your hands", he finished. Sakura and Sasuke face-faulted. "WHAT?", the girl screamed. "_And she got the best grades for being smart_", both Kakashi and Naruto thought sadly. "Here let me show you" and making his way to the nearest tree, began to ascend up the side, crutches and all. Stopping upside down on a branch, "Like this" earning wide-eyed looks from two of his students. It was kind of annoying that the blonde never showed any emotion. "_He might as well be an Aburame_", he thought. "_Sarutobi-sama said that he has been doing extensive training. Can he already do this?_". Out loud he added, "Tree climbing will not only improve your overall chakra control, it will also increase your overall chakra. So with the proper application of this technique, there is no jutsu you won't be able to master"

Tossing a trio of kunai at the feet of his students from his still upside down position, "Mark your progress as you go". Feeling slightly woozy he jumped back to the ground, wincing at the ache in his body, "_Damn, I'm still too weak to do anything_", he thought. Sasuke and Sakura had already taken their kunai and started. Sasuke used too much and shot back off the tree with the sound of splintering wood. Sakura on the other hand managed to make it up nearly fifteen meters and was sitting on a large limb watching them. "_That's about what I expected. Sasuke used too much, and Sakura did pretty well. Though it is likely only due to her small reserves…embarrassingly small reserves, she needs to work on that. And Naruto…huh?_". His more secretive student was standing exactly where he was when he'd given them their instructions, not moving an inch. "Naruto, something wrong?". "I am already able to do this, Kakashi-sensei", he spoke quietly, hoping the others wouldn't hear. "You are?", Kakashi asked in mock surprise. "I am. I would like to train myself, privately". Kakashi gave his student a measuring glance. "Fine. If you can make it to the top of your tree and down again I'll let you go and train". "_I'm never going to hear the end of this_", he thought and walked toward a tree. Everyone's attention was on him as he lifted his foot and put it on the bark. "_Now we'll see just how superior I am_", Sasuke thought eagerly at the images of ways the blonde could mess up. All three watched in astonishment as Naruto walked at a leisurely pace up the side of the tree, after several minutes returning down the tree at the same slow walk, and stopping in front of Kakashi. Saying nothing, he waited to hear Kakashi give his assent. Though he'd been prepared to sneak off and leave a shadow clone if necessary. Kakashi sighed defeatedly before nodding his head, "Alright, you can go train", he replied.

Sasuke stared enraged at the retreating back of his teammate. "_How could he do that?!_", he roared in his mind. "_Naruto…how are you this strong? Who gave you this power?_". He didn't deserve this power. He had stood nearly equal to their sensei during the bell test. He not only knew the Kage Bunshin jutsu, but could make dozens, as he'd seen in the fight against Zabuza. And just how in hell was he able to stand up to Zabuza? Not only had he gotten injured, but it was a bad wound that should have needed weeks to heal. But no, the dobe had recovered over night. "_That power…you don't deserve it. It's the power I need to kill __him__. I will have it. And if you don't give it to me, I'll beat it out of you_", he silently vowed to himself as he continued attempt after attempt to climb his tree higher.

With Naruto: "_So what do you think, nechan? Chakra control?_". "**Yeah, that would be best. But you still need to work on your tree climbing**", she added. Listening to Sarutobi-ojisan describe how ninja used chakra to walk on water and climb things, he'd realized something. Even if he could climb a tree or walk on water, that wouldn't help him unless he had it down to the level where he could do it on instinct. So in the last year and a half, a little before he'd rejoined the academy, he'd altered his chakra control exercise slightly. So far, he'd only just started water walking, but he wasn't done with tree climbing yet.

Following his nose, he soon found exactly what he was looking for. He had smelled pond scum and other small, pond-related, scents. Entering a clearing complete with a lake, "_Perfect_", he thought simply. "**Don't over exert yourself**", his sister warned. "_I won't, nechan_", he said. Molding his chakra and making the proper handsign, "Shadow Clone Jutsu", he spoke and felt a large amount of chakra leave him. In a large cloud of smoke, the clearing was filled with nearly 150 or so clones. He hadn't put too much chakra into it, his limit being in the several hundreds so far, wanting to keep his training, for the most part, secret. But still, 150 was pretty good with the chakra he'd used, surmising he was around genin level as far as control was concerned. But still, the air was thick with wasted chakra.

Getting started, he began to delegate duties to his clones. The majority he sent to do the tree climbing exercise. They only had a short operational life when using a lot of chakra, but what they experienced so did he. The majority of the group he assigned to climbing trees, while engaging each other in combat. This was the change that he'd made to his training. In order to really master the exercise, he used his clones to do combat while using it. When he'd first tried it, most of the clones were destroyed simply because they fell from the trees. Now though, they could last several minutes, and absorbing their experience, tree climbing had become almost second nature. But he still made them perform it to work on his own chakra control. And while they worked on tree climbing, he and twenty clones worked on something else.

There were loud splashes as twenty one blondes fell into the lake. Water walking was still a fresh idea to him so it was obvious it would take some time. He and his clones spent hours working on chakra control, with him summoning new sets of clones about every hour. One of the main reasons he used shadow clones was that without them it would take forever to exhaust his reserves. One time, he'd walked up a tree all day and only used up three quarters of his reserves before having to go to bed from lack of sleep. In order for him to actually gain from the exercise, clones were a must. As it was though, he didn't do the exercise to increase his reserves, but for better control. After he'd summoned enough, his chakra was significantly reduced enough where his training was most effective. And he'd just now reached that point again an hour before dark.

He was shaking as he stood on the water, his feet sinking and rising from his fluctuating chakra levels and inadequate control. His clones were just about done too as a few began to disappear in clouds of smoke. He figured he had enough chakra for another twenty minutes of water walking. Breathing heavy, he sank deeper into the water as his vanishing clones disrupted his focus. He staggered back to shore, all clones now gone.

Sitting on the grass he did his best to force his breathing back to normal, pulling a high calorie ration bar from his pouch. Chewing on the dry snack he tried to relax. It always felt weird; draining his chakra to such a level. His reserves were large, and since it was so hard to empty them, it was disorienting to have so little left, leaving him feeling a bit woozy.

"**Idiot, you shouldn't push it that much!**", Kyubi chided. He was just so stubborn! There were times when she wondered if he'd been mentally damaged from his coma. Her tails twitched all over the place as a sign of her annoyance. There were times when she wished she could just smack him upside the head. She understood why he trained so hard though. How could she not? It was essentially because of her that he had no one. It was one of the reasons that she'd vowed to take care of him in the first place.

"_I'm sorry, nechan. I guess I went a little overboard_", he sighed, the growling of his stomach silencing as he'd eaten. He could feel his reserves slowly refill as his incredible metabolism was already converting the food supplement into chakra. His body had stopped shaking, he lay back on the grass. For a brief second, he wondered what Hinata Hyuga was doing. He shook his head to clear it. "_I must be more tired than I thought_". Kyubi's face was in her hands. It was distressing how dense her brother was when it came to feelings for a girl.

After an hour, "**Feeling better?**", she asked, using a bit of her youkai to speed his recovery. "_I am, thank you, nechan_". "**You should probably head back, it's getting late**", she suggested, seeing the darkened sky through their connection. Walking back, he couldn't help but lose himself in his surroundings. It always happened when he was this tired. Last time, he'd spent the entire night just watching and listening to the sounds of the forest outside Konoha. His sister said that part of it was because of him being partial to the peace and quiet. Mostly though, she'd told him it was because of her. By sealing her into him, her youkai had changed him to something akin to an Inuzuka, except fox-like, and foxes were commonly active at night. His sister snapped him from his zombie like state, reminding him of their plans. "**Remember, tonight we need to get to work**". He sighed tiredly, "_I know, nechan. But this isn't something I want the others to know yet. I'll leave when everyone's asleep_".

It was nearly eleven before he made it back through the door. The house was for the most part, dark. Tsunami, Tazuna, and Kakashi were still awake though, he assumed Sasuke and Sakura were asleep since they weren't present. "Look who's back", Kakashi said cheerfully, looking away from his book for the briefest of seconds to take in the blonde's appearance. Tsunami, ignoring the giggles of his sensei, saw that he was soaked, and the concerned mother figure she was shoved him along to the bathroom for a shower so he didn't catch a cold. He wasn't long, returning to the room barely ten minutes later. Moving to sit against the wall under a window, Kakashi spoke up.

"So how was training?", the Jonin asked curiously. He'd had to watch Sasuke and Sakura, so wasn't able to follow. "It went well", he responded quietly. Kakashi thought of what he could say to get the blonde to talk. "I don't suppose you could talk about your training could you? It could help your teammates". The selling point had been "teammates". Though Naruto seemed uncaring, at times he could be very protective of his teammates, as he'd seen the previous night. Naruto looked at the man shrewdly, "_He probably wants to know how he should augment Uchiha-san's training_", he thought. Shifting his body so he could face the man, "Very well. It is not much of a secret really. I have been using my clones to fight while performing the tree climbing exercise, while I am learning water walking". Kakashi's brain froze at what he heard, "That's…impressive. Not many ninja below Chunin realize the extent to which the exercise needs to be learned. I assume it is so you can do it in the future without having to think about it?". "Indeed", the blonde replied. Kakashi mused over this information. His student was turning into more of a shock than he could have imagined. He'd never expected someone with this much drive or ingenuity. "If you're going to teach this to Uchiha-san, at least have the decency to do the same to Haruno-san", Naruto added, reminding the Jonin again of their conversation from the other night. "Right", Kakashi confirmed. He was going to send Sakura with Tazuna in the morning, but now he would have to teach her this addition to their exercise. "Good night, Tsunami-san, Tazuna-san, Kakashi-sensei", he said politely, bowing to each in turn. And left for a couple hours of sleep before he had to leave once more.

3 Hours Later: He awoke from his darkened dreams by his sister's mental prodding. Carefully, silently, he climbed from his mat on the floor to the open window, using a kitsune genjutsu his sister had taught him to silence and conceal his movements. She'd said it was one most foxes used to escape predators, but it serviced him all the same. He could sense that Kakashi was still asleep. The Jonin was the worry. What needed to be done, the Jonin most likely wouldn't allow. His ears told him that the man was still asleep, his heart rate still slow. Jumping from the roof to the surface of the water, he took off for the woods.

Several hours later, dawn on the horizon, Naruto and Kyubi looked on at their completed work. It had been their plan to complete it months ago, but time was always an issue. The latest scroll from his mysterious secret sensei, had spoken of summoning and how the contract's seals worked. So, with what he'd compiled from his Shadow clones raiding the shinobi library for any books and scrolls on seals, the scrolls he'd received, and information from his sister, he was able to complete it. That, and he'd snuck into the Hokage's files for any information on Summoning he could find. Unfortunately, the old man had found out, and he'd forced him to explain his actions. After outlining his plans, the Hokage had consented to his idea. Now though, on the ground, lay the very first Kitsune (Fox) Summoning contract, completed. A promising and scary item. Now for the tricky part, testing it.

He readied himself for an impromptu kawarimi if necessary. Biting his thumb, he went through the necessary seals. "_Boar-Dog-Monkey-Bird-Sheep…_", he thought, calling out "Summoning Jutsu!".

There was a big explosion of smoke, followed by annoyed growling. "**What the FUCK?!**", he heard a deep voice bark out. The smoke cleared to reveal a silver fox the size of a horse, a long bushy tail swishing behind it. "**And who the Fuck are you?! Answer quick before I eat you!**", he added, his hackles drawn up, revealing what Naruto had to admit were an impressive array of teeth as long as the average kunai. "**Channel my youkai, that'll let him know who you are**", his sister spoke with an evil laugh.

The kitsune was tensing his muscles, preparing to pounce, when a red aura enveloped the human. He saw the formerly blue eyes were now red, and he seemed to bear what looked almost like whiskers. But the energy he was emitting…it was, youkai? A wave of power was coming from him that was demonic, that much he knew. What scared him most, a minute later the demonic aura took the shape of a fox…with nine swaying tails. "**Ky-Kyubi-sama**", he whispered, instinctively bowing on his front legs. "Not quite", Naruto responded.

Things had worked out fairly well. The fox, Kado, went back to spread the message to the higher ups that there was now a summoning contract for them, and that the creator, and bearer, of the contract was the vessel of the nine-tailed demoness. When he was told that they were in the human realm, he'd wanted to explore, but was told to return, promised that he would be summoned later on. "**That went incredibly well**", Kyubi supplied, filling the silence of the absence of Kado's cursing. "_Indeed. It could have gone worse. But the question still remains-_". Kyubi took his question straight from him, "**I don't know. There is a chance that the Shiki Fuuin won't allow you to summon me. Then there is the possibility that, by holding me, you've become the "chief summon". But there is no way of telling. The only humans who might know would be the Hokage and the person who sends you those scrolls. I know a thing or two about seals, but this sort of thing hasn't happened before, to my knowledge. But hey, if you're the boss, then you don't have to get permission**". It was a truly unique situation. His sister chirped up cheerfully, "**You should be proud, you now have a contract equal to what those Sannin have**", she said, chuckling. "**That prick of a teammate will get an ulcer when he finds out!**". It was enough to send her into a fit of laughter, her crystal voice filling his head, earning a slight twitch from him. "_I wonder if I thought this through thoroughly enough?_" he wondered with a tinge of regret. He hated the attention people already gave him, both the good and the bad. After learning to do without it, it just felt so foreign to him. For the first time, he completely understood Shikamaru. "Troublesome", he whispered. And somewhere back in Konoha, one Shikamaru Nara gave a horrendous sneeze. Unfortunately, he was hiding in a bush at the time, trying to avoid Ino. Sneezing, he thought, "_Oh crap_", before a shriek of "FOUND YOU, YOU LAZY ASS!" filled the clearing. Groaning, "Whoever's talking about me…aw, it's too troublesome to plot revenge", and like the sensible Nara he was, hauled ass out of there as fast as he could, hearing his female teammate right behind him.

He thought about reentering the house through the window but, smelling breakfast, knew that Kakashi would be awake. So, instead, he just walked right through the door, the summoning scroll tied to his back as it was fairly large, easily the size of the Forbidden Scroll. For security's sake, he hadn't put it into his storage scroll. It would stay by his side until he could find a way to ensure its' safety. Walking tiredly past the Jonin and Tazuna to sit at the table, drinking the tea Tsunami offered him. "Thank you, Tsunami-san", bowing his head to her in thanks. There was quiet for at least fifteen minutes before, Kakashi's curiosity got the better of him. "Where were you?", the Jonin practically demanded. "I was working on a…project" he replied, being truthful, by omission. "You shouldn't go off like that. While we're on a mission I need to know where you all are". Naruto resigned himself to what he next expected the Jonin to say. "From now on, while on missions, we will all train together, unless I am sure none of you are in any danger", a stiff tone in the man's order. It was about what he expected. At least while he was at the village, Kakashi's ruling wouldn't be in effect. "Very well", he answered, giving in. His demeanor warming from it's previous chill, "So is that your "project"?", he asked, motioning to the scroll. "…It is". "What is it?" "It is…a backup plan", he answered, his voice and eyes still devoid of nervousness or anything else for that matter. Which completely shot down the copynin's attempts at information gathering. "A backup…for the mission? What makes you think we need one?", Kakashi asked, wondering what kind of support it could be. "That would be my experience with true human nature. I will tell you this…", Kakashi perked up, "My plan is something I've discussed with Hokage-jisan to great extent, and involves a project that he sanctioned. I just hope it isn't necessary yet". That really surprised Kakashi. What could be big enough that he would discuss it with the Hokage? It had to be a jutsu of some sort.

Now though, the room had regained the previous silence. "So…did you ask your teammates to return your scroll yet?". "I was planning to retrieve it this morning", he said, taking a gulp of tea. What little natural caffeine there was in it giving his system a small boost. Even better, his nose and mouth were reacting to the meat Tsunami was cooking, causing a flood of drool to build up in his mouth. The smell seemed to possess a waking ability as after a few minutes Sasuke and Sakura descended the stairs into the room. Good morning, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunami-san, Tazuna-san,…Naruto-baka", Sakura spoke in her usual "happy to be around Sasuke" mood.

Tsunami put breakfast on the table, assisted by a Shadow clone. "Should you really be using that technique so carelessly?", Kakashi asked, amazed at how easy it was for the blonde to use the jutsu. Naruto just shrugged, not answering. Sasuke sat across from him, Sakura alongside Kakashi, and Tsunami next to Tazuna. "It's still a little early for Inari", Tsunami explained when Sakura asked about his absence. "Are you all going to train again, Kakashi-san?", she asked. "We are, but I'm worried about not sending an escort with Tazuna-san". "I don't need a bodyguard. Like you said, that missing-nin won't come back until the beginning of next week". "I would prefer if you had some sort of protection-". "Kakashi-sensei", Naruto interrupted, the Jonin turning to him questioningly for interfering. "If you would accept, I would sent some Shadow clones with him". Kakashi thought that over for a minute before nodding slowly. "Alright, but if anything happens, you need to tell me". "What good are a bunch of "Shadow clones", as you call them?", Tazuna asked, not convinced they would do any good at protecting him. Kakashi answered, speaking to the whole group, instructing his students at the same time. "Shadow clones are an advanced ninjutsu that creates actual physical copies of the user. If you recall, Naruto made them in the fight with Zabuza. They can act independently but retain the physical strength of the user, if diminished chakra. While they are destroyed if hit, because they are so advanced, everything a Shadow clone experiences before it is destroyed the user remembers. So, if you get in any trouble, we will be there quickly". "If you say so", Tazuna said, still not convinced, yet couldn't shake the memory of an army of short blondes attacking the missing-nin Zabuza as he read the newspaper that he and his neighbor shared. Everyone dug into their breakfasts while they were still fresh and warm, before separating, heading in different directions, Tazuna with a contingent of blondes.

Kakashi, still needing crutches to move steadily took them once more to the spot where Sasuke and Sakura had trained. He could immediately tell which trees they'd used, his nose smelling the pungent, to him, sap from the visible cuts and slashes that he could see. "Same as yesterday, I want you to continue your exercise where you left off. And even though you can do it Sakura, I want you to keep going, it'll help increase your reserves and your stamina", saying the last part to counter the response he'd expected from the girl.

Naruto stood in front of his two teammates, preventing them from going to their trees. "What do you want, dobe?", Sasuke sneered, attempting to push past, but being stopped by a strong grip on his arm. "My property", he replied, sending a stony flare to Sakura before concentrating his attention on Sasuke. "I don't have anything of yours", Sasuke responded as if insulted. "Ye-Yeah, you shouldn't accuse us because you lost your stupid scroll", Sakura said, looking guilty, instantly aware of blowing their secret. "I never said it was a scroll", he spoke before putting out his hand to Sasuke. "Return my scroll to me, or I will take it back", he said seriously. "Are you saying you're going to beat me? Don't joke like that, dobe", he said with a snicker. "Alright, Sasuke, why don't you two return what you took from Naruto", Kakashi began, but for the second time that morning found himself interrupted by his blonde student. Naruto cocked his head, looking at Uchiha-san appraisingly, "I don't need to fight you Uchiha-san", and, biting his healed thumb, began to make hand-signs. Stopping on the seventeenth sign, he sent chakra to his hand and said, "Item Summoning", script and symbols spreading on his palm. And in a small poof of smoke a small scroll appeared in his hand, looking back to the dark-haired boy, "Thank you", and without further notice slid the small scroll into his side pants pocket. He didn't bother to check the blood seal, Uchiha-san's look of anger telling him he'd failed to open it.

Kakashi watched in amazement at what Naruto had done. He'd performed a small scale localized summoning jutsu. That showed an interesting knowledge of seals, nearly Jonin level knowledge of them. "_Kami, this boy's so surprising that it's giving me a headache_". Unfortunately, he could see the anger in Sasuke's eyes, anger with a tinge of jealousy. "_Oh, this is just great for the team dynamic_", he thought scarcastically. He knew the blonde wasn't showing off, hell, he didn't think Naruto knew how to show off, it was so against his nature. Unfortunately, while he was trying to learn more about his enigmatic student, it just showed more and more how strong the boy was. Something that his other student reacted to by a show of anger, hate, and jealousy, he saw them all burning in his eyes. The more the blonde was forced to reveal about himself, the greater the one-sided rivalry grew. A rivalry that had finally peaked.

"Dammit, who taught you to do all this?! The solid clones, seals?!", the Uchiha ranted, this time, him being the one to block the path of the blonde. He radiated killer intent wildly at the blonde, who himself stood there unflinching, as if the Uchiha was just a mild annoyance. "_I should probably stop this…But this is the best chance I have to learn more about Naruto. I'll step in if it gets out of hand. Who knows, it could be good for them to vent, maybe have a chance to build some comradery._", the Jonin thought as he watched the two.

Sasuke was completely oblivious of everyone except his target who had yet to say a single word in answer to his demands. "How is it that you can do the things that you do? You, the dobe, the clan-less loser who was barely average in all the Academy tests. How can you heal a mortal wound in hours when someone else would die or be out for weeks? How is it you have such levels of chakra?". The silence was becoming unnerving. "Tell me! I need to know who gave you this power. Where did you get it from? This is power I need to help me avenge my clan. You WILL tell me, NOW!", his demands had reached the level of a roar, Sakura staring fearfully at the young man that she was crushing on.

It took Naruto a second to recognize what he was feeling. The best way to describe it was a burning that could be felt in his very soul. But though it could be described as a fire, it was a cold fire, a cold fury. Anger…that's what it was. It had been a while since he'd felt it. He'd long ago repressed most of his emotions. The most negative of them that he showed was borderline disinterest. "Uchiha-san", he replied ina cold voice, a deathly cold voice barely above a whisper, one that made even Kakashi give a slight shudder. His once calm, unrevealing cerulean orbs had hardened into a cold steel blue. "I will only say this once, Uchiha-san, so listen well. No one ever gave me anything, Uchiha-san, other than basic academy scrolls. Everything else, with exception to the Kage Bunshin, I created on my own", he spat, his voice laced with venom. The blonde was slowly leaking out higher amounts of killing intent. "I never had the luxuryof a clan library, so I strived to create my own jutsus", technically he was lying, he had a library but wasn't allowed to use it yet. Though he preferred to make and master his own jutsus. "And because of an 'accident'", he grit his teeth, "I was taken out of the Academy for my own safety. So, while you were 'taught', I had to learn everything on my own, and what I did learn, I improved upon. The first jutsu I learned came from a scroll on jutsu theory. I trained myself, for four years, sometimes more than twenty hours a day, so if you are unhappy, then you should blame yourself for being lax in your studies and training." The blonde took a deep breath, calming himself as best he could, his eyes opening to reveal a look of age, of wisdom. "I sense your hunger for power, Uchiha-san. But you do not have the will, or the patience to achieve it. Know this, all power comes at a price. Often, to increase one's strength, training is the cost to be paid. Sometimes though, the price is far more than you could ever possibly imagine, and in the end it is hardly ever worth it" Sasuke grew bold at what he thought were the words of a fool, a dobe. "Oh yeah? And just what did you give for your power dobe?", he spat, sneering at the boy. "My life", Naruto whispered, turned and started to walk away, ignoring the Jonin's previous order to stay. "Though I was never given the chance to choose for myself. Yet I have made the best of my situation, even finding family". His back now facing the group, "If someone ever offers you 'power', Uchiha-san, ask them what they want in return. Or better yet, ask Kakashi-sensei if he thinks his eye was worth the price that was paid for it", and just like that he was gone, headed back towards Tazuna's. Sasuke was caught up in what the dobe had said. Unlike Sakura, who noticed her sensei with a tear rolling down a crestfallen face as he unconsciously readjusted his hitai-ate over his Sharingan eye. That evening, Team 7 left their blonde teammate alone to calm down.

In the absence of the blonde enigma, Kakashi snuck into the room the boys shared, silently waking the Uchiha, covering his mouth so he wouldn't make any noise. All he said was a whispered, "Shh, secret training, now". Momentarily thinking of his other students, and the favoritism he was showing, or hiding to be more accurate. But he was a seasoned Jonin, and shoved the thought away, thinking, "_I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun, but I owe this to Obito_". He would honor his comrade, and make Sasuke as strong as he could, stronger than Naruto, if possible. And he would be damned before his student, who was practically his apprentice that he'd trained privately, wasn't the strongest on the team. The whole time unaware as a blonde figure lay on the surface of the lake, in the distance, almost asleep on the water.

"_Do you think I got through to him, nechan?_", he asked, though, he already knew the answer. "**Doubt it, outoto. That shithead has a ego bigger than the Ichibi's.**" "_I meant what I said, Kyu-nechan. I may have lost a lot, but I gained a sister_". She smiled kindly back at him, hugging the visage of him that was in his mind in a warm embrace. "**I love you too, otouto**", she whispered.

AN: What can I say, I like summoning contracts! I felt that ordinary foxes were better than Demon foxes. A Summoning contract for Demon foxes seems a little too powerful. So his summons aren't much different than others, in power.

For those wondering, Hinata will be in the story again before the Chunin exams. I'll probably do a "Back in Konoha" or "Hinata's PoV" in the next chapter.

Please review, /-. So, ja ne!


	6. Trials Of Teaching, Where's The Aspirin?

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

**_Hello_**/Demon or Summon Thought or Inner Self

Chapter 6

"So…maybe today we can actually do some training. Unless you'd rather argue some more. Hmm?" the copynin asked lightly, looking over his students. The tension in the group had dissipated greatly, but so had the loose connection between them. "_I never should have left ANBU_", he mentally groaned. It was just too tiresome to have students. Naruto had once again just appeared at breakfast, but considering the previous day's confrontation he'd let pass the fact that the blonde had disobeyed his order and gone on his own. While the blonde seemed indifferent, as if the fight had never happened, a stony silence seemed to haunt the group.

"Ahem, anyway, Naruto has agreed to show us one or two of his jutsu", Kakashi began, inwardly hoping that such a training session could reinforce the group's teamwork. This statement broke the stony silence as the most emotional of the trio turned to look curiously at the silent boy. "Now that you've all managed to complete the tree climbing exercise, so I think now would be the perfect time for it", his lofty attitude showing in his visible eye as he glanced at Naruto, giving him the go-ahead for whatever he had planned.

Silently stepping forward, "In accordance with the agreement I've made with Kakashi-sensei, I will teach each of you a jutsu of my choosing". "Hold on a second", Naruto sighed, he'd expected this. "Yes, Uchiha-san?" "You're choosing? We should be allowed to choose the jutsu for ourselves!" the dark-haired boy grumped indignantly, echoed by their female teammate, "Yeah!". At this point Kakashi stepped in, not wanting a repeated waste like the other day, "Now Sasuke, Sakura, for the moment Naruto is your sensei. So, for now, you have to listen to him" he spoke, chiding them. "The jutsus that I will teach each of you are of my own invention, thus the choice is mine and mine alone, Uchiha-san. Now, if you are done, I'll begin", Naruto stated hollowly, ignoring the glares and scowls from his two teammates. Sasuke was seething at the insolence he was being shown, since he was an Uchiha, the elite. Sakura's face seemed to radiate sheer anger as her crush was so openly disrespected. "_**CHA! WE SHOULD CRUSH THAT LITTLE FUCKER FOR OUR SASUKE-KUN!**_" her inner-self ranted, clutching a Naruto-shaped doll with numerous pins and needles sticking out of it. The only sign that she was fighting to restrain her inner-self was the twitch in her eyes and the occasional sound of grinding teeth.

Creating two Shadow Clones, one went to stand next to each of his fellow Genin. "My clones know the jutsu that I want you to learn. They have enough chakra to demonstrate the technique a few times before dissipating", and with that said he nodded to his clones who responded with nods of their own before taking their "students" and heading off at least a couple hundred meters from each other. This left the original Naruto with the Jonin who was absently giggling, seeming to have found a rather interesting spot in his book. Naruto gave a slight shake of his head, "_That man has no sense of dignity, does he?_". His sister snorted loudly, "**It took you this long to figure that out? If I were out there I'd cut his balls off, for the sake of the female race**" "_That's a bit excessive isn't it, nechan? I thought it was just a regular book_" "**There are times when I think you have been completely socially stunted, Naru-chan**", she clucked, shaking her head. Her red hair swirling around, but hiding the humorous grin on her tanned face. "**Well, to women, that kind of…smut is both degrading and insulting. It depicts females in a very derogatory manner in regards to sexual relations.**" "_Really…then why does he read it?_" Kyubi put her head in her hands, "_**Baka**_", she thought. "**Naruto-otouto, you are so innocent…don't ever change**", she chuckled helplessly. "_Huh?_" was all he could say, confusion overwhelming him. "_**He'll meet someone, hopefully. Someone who will have to show him and make him understand, forcefully, most likely**_" though in her mind she knew exactly the girl who could and would change him, for the better, if she ever stopped being so shy. "**You'll find out**", she replied sweetly, evilly. She couldn't help thinking how special her otouto was, she hoped the girl in question would hurry up and "break him in" so she wouldn't have to keep answering these "interesting" questions.

He shook his head as he focused back on what he was doing. Luckily, in his mind time passed at a slower rate so Kakashi was still entranced by his book. It was kind of depressing to realize your sensei is a pervert. "_Wait…Sandaime-jisan reads that book!_" he gasped, remembering a time when he'd seen the old man with a similar book. But he would have to dwell on that later. "Well then, Kakashi-sensei, shall we begin?".

With Sakura: The Naruto clone stopped once he was out of sight and earshot of the others. "Haruno-san, it is with some difficulty that I must tell you that offensively, you are somewhat lacking" "Huh?" "You have no attack, or offensive, jutsu. Making you the weakest member of Team 7" "Hey, wait a minute!", she flared, her anger getting the better of her as she decided to listen to her inner-self's rant of death. "BE QUIET, HARUNO-SAN", he intoned loudly. The only way to prevent this train wreck was to head it off by stopping her before she could let her anger build and since the argument, his anger had been closer to the surface. The kunoichi quailed under the intense glare the clone had focused on her. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Haruno-san, I should not have yelled. Nevertheless I speak the truth. You have now offensive skills, except for basic academy taijutsu. That is why I will teach you an attack jutsu I was working on a while ago. I discovered it in an attempt to create a version of the Fireball jutsu the Uchiha are famed for. I call it the FireBurst jutsu".

With Sasuke: The pair, the clone and the Uchiha, stood beside the very same lake Naruto had practiced his water walking on. His instructions for teaching the Uchiha were simple, defensive jutsus. In his brief stay at the academy, he'd learned that the Uchiha scion knew only how to attack. Whether it was arrogance or lack of availability, he knew no defensive, that is strictly defensive, jutsus. And while he had a few, the only one that would help him all around was one in particular. "Uchiha-san, I will be teaching you-" "Teach me how to make Shadow Clones", he interrupted, nearly demanding. "…No" "And why not?!" "Simply put, you lack the chakra reserves to perform the jutsu. A second reason being that I have been barred from teaching anyone as it is ranked to be a Jonin level kinjutsu" "It doesn't look that hard. After all, you make dozens without breaking a sweat". "As I, or should I say, as the real Naruto has said, his chakra stores are quite large, even compared to some Jonin". Sasuke grimaced, this was getting him nowhere, "Fine!", he huffed loudly, practically growling in his annoyance. "As I was trying to say Uchiha-san, I will teach you a defensive jutsu". His hand shot up warningly, stopping the Uchiha's disapproving comment before it even left his throat. "All your jutsus are focused on attacking, with no thought to defense. That kind of fighting will get you killed, in the long run of things. So I will teach you how to create a shield using Stone Shield jutsu" and began to explain the intricacies of the move, describing every detail before showing the move, as a test of the boy's patience. "Once I get my Sharingan, I won't need you. I'll just copy your jutsus and your power will be mine", the Uchiha scion thought, unaware of the precautions Naruto had taken to prevent such a thing as he'd only told the Sandaime and Kakashi.

Back With The Real Naruto And Kakashi:

"So what do you have planned for me?", Kakashi asked curiously. He found it to be really funny that he would be learning from the student that Academy records reported as being average in everything. "First, a stipulation", the blonde stated. "Let's hear it". "Remember our deal, for what I'm showing you all today, you promised to give me a jutsu of my asking" "Yes, I remember" "Good, we'll talk about that back at Tazuna-san's. But as for the stipulation, you can not use your Sharingan eye". Kakashi seemed to hesitate, lost in contemplation. "Alright, I guess I can agree to that", he finally replied. Naruto nodded in agreement, "Good, now as for the fight with Zabuza…You know as well as I do that it's only a matter of days before he makes another attempt". The Jonin nodded, "I was betting on a solid week", Kakashi interjected. "And I would have to agree. I have to ask you, do you know any wind element jutsus at all?" "I know a fair amount; you don't see many around Konoha though. I managed to learn a couple dozen or so during the war and on a few missions". "And you never thought to use them to counter Zabuza's Hidden Mist technique?", the blonde asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "There wasn't enough time" the Jonin countered. "…True. But if you face him again, it might be easier if the fog doesn't hinder that 'special' eye of yours. So in the next fight, you might want to consider it if he uses the mist. But as for the jutsu I'm going to teach you, it could be described as a very wide-range Fireball jutsu. With the alteration and addition of a few seals I came up with what Hokage-jisan named the Great Conflagration jutsu. Its' drawback is that only a Jonin has the chakra to utilize it", he raised an eyebrow at the sensei who was at the moment the student. "So I wouldn't recommend you teaching it to Sasuke as the chakra drain would kill him".

In Konoha (Present):

The weather was perfect for D missions as Team 8 took the time from team training for a small lunch under the trees. Kurenai watched disapprovingly as Kiba seemed to mimic Akamaru's eating style. "_That boy is the messiest eater I have ever seen_", she thought, slightly green in the face as the sight was almost nauseating. Heck, even the Uzumaki boy and the Akimichi heir, Choji she believed he was called, had better manners, even with their massive appetites. She remembered when the blonde was younger and would hit a bowl of ramen like a typhoon. And along with the Akimichi in their final year at the Academy, between the two of them, they'd managed to shut down a Barbeque restaurant for the day when they ran out of food. She really envied the blonde for his metabolism. But still, they were better mannered than her brash Inuzuka student. Thankfully, her other two students had more self control in regards to eating. Instead of leaping into their meal, they were eating at a slower more restrained pace. She had no doubt Hinata's father had probably forced her to learn such things at an early age. To her that was just another mark against the bastard. Like all Aburame, Shino was simply a very restrained and deliberate person, not used to wasting any excess energy.

Reaching over, she clipped the feral boy on the ear, "Kiba, try to be more civilized". "But, sensei, it's just lunch", Kiba replied. Why should he be worried about eating all slow and careful? The sooner he was full, the sooner he could get back to training. "Because Kiba, as shinobi of Konoha, we represent our village. We can't have others thinking of the village as crude and uncivilized. And on missions we must show ourselves as the best of Konoha. Not to mention…some of your food seems to have made it all the way over here into my veggie salad", she said, showing the food that had crossed several feet to land on her plate. "Heheh, sorry, sensei", the boy remarked with his toothy grin. "Just try to keep it on your plate, Kiba", she said with a small grin of her own. She noticed the slight movement of Hinata's head to see that the girl was checking to see if any of her food had strayed. "_She really worries too much_", Kurenai thought kindly. The girl had been almost like a niece to her since she'd begun walking her to the Academy as child. Her habit of following the Uzumaki boy was no secret to her either as she'd watched over her after classes at the Academy let out and after their team broke up for the day. In a way, she was proud of the girl, for caring for someone like him, whom everyone seemed to hate. She was also worried; the girl's choice in crushes was a real project. After finding out about her crush, she'd looked up his files and read up on how distanced he had become after an attack, forcing himself into a self-imposed solitude. The girl really knew how to pick a challenge. She had no doubts that he was a good and decent person, it was easily seen in his eyes in moments where the façade he showed the world would fall, if only for a second.

"Hey, sensei, when are we gonna get a good mission?", Kiba barked, interrupting her thoughts. "Hmm? A good mission? I'm getting tired of catching that damn cat!". "Ano, Kiba-kun…Tora-kun i-is a good ki-kitty. He just likes to be outside", Hinata added shyly, a small stutter letting slip her lack of self-confidence, again. "We are Genin, Kiba-san. It would be foolish to send us on dangerous missions so soon as we are not experienced enough yet", Shino added, speaking for the first time all day. "Kiba, you aren't ready for anything big yet. Genin are given D rank missions not only because they are safe and relatively easy, but because they are meant to build team trust and foster teamwork, and you've only been out of the Academy for a few months now. You're still wet behind the ears", Kurenai stated calmly. She had to say it every day, and it was finally becoming tedious. "I heard Team 7 got a C rank the other day", he pouted sourly, grumbling to himself, and Akamaru growling in shared disappointment. "_Oh, this is going to be one of those days, I just know it_", she mentally sighed.

Once everything had finally settled down, Kurenai quieting Kiba with the threat of a weak genjutsu, normalcy, such as it was, returned. Hinata was a ball of worry on the inside. Naruto was on a C rank mission? Part of her was proud that he was strong enough to be on such a mission, another part of her was sad that she wasn't that strong yet, and part of her was worried about the blonde she cared about. "_Naruto-kun…please be safe. Please return…to me_", she thought, watching the sakura petals blow away in the gentle wind. Maybe then…maybe then she would be able to talk to him, to his face. Her mind wandered for a bit, reminiscing over her memories. "_Blonde, sun-kissed hair. Tan and well-muscled. Eyes, blue as the sea and just as deep, easily lost in. And a heart of gold_", she thought, mentally going over the checklist of things she knew about the blonde. She fought the blush that arose so suddenly, lighting up her face. There were times when she would dream of laying in his arms or him in hers, just letting time go by, and a feeling of utter contentment filling her. She knew what she felt was more than just a crush, she'd known for some time now. Love. That's what it was. But an unrecognized love as she kept it to herself and told no one, too shy to tell the one person who she wanted to tell most.

With Team Gai: "YOSH, GAI-SENSEI! I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!", Lee shouted proudly, digging himself from the small crater he'd created. "YES, LEE, YOU HAVE INDEED LEARNED THE OMOTE RENGE!", yelled back Gai, tears of pride welling up from his eyes. "_Lee, I'm so proud!_", he thought, looking on at his student, giving him his patented "thumbs up with a smile" pose. Neji and Tenten were in the middle of a practice spar. She was throwing every weapon she had at him, and he was training his Byakugan, evading her attacks. It was always amazing how many weapons she owned, even considering the fact that her family owned a shinobi supply store. Though Gai wished she had gotten more into taijutsu than she was. She was quite adept, but her specialty and focus had always been in regards to weapons. Neji had been labeled as a prodigy from his time in the Academy. His fighting style was heavily taijutsu, but Gai had failed to impart his youthful ways to him. It had been a great disappointment to the Jonin. "Wait until your youthful training partner sees how you've progressed, Lee!", Gai said proudly. "YOSH! My rival genius of hard work! I can't wait to see how he has improved", Lee shouted, his eyes full of fire. To Gai, there were few with as much potential towards taijutsu as his youthful protégés, Lee and Naruto. His blonde, part-time student wasn't a genius, but there were few as creative as him. He and Lee would spar against each other during their 5am training session. It was incredible how the boy could actually wear Lee out, his stamina keeping him going. Like Lee, he was never really given a chance. The teachers regarded Lee as a failure, and no one would teach Naruto because of what he contained. "_I should nominate them for the Chunin Exam. Konoha is hosting it this year after all_", Gai thought.

"I wonder if he's improved his taijutsu any?", Lee asked. "It doesn't matter", interupted Neji, "he is a failure…just like you, Lee". Gai shook his head as he watched the scene unfold before him. "Neji, that's quite enough", he reprimanded, sending a small glare at his student. "_Neji, you are filled with so much anger. When will you learn to let it go? If you don't, you will never truly understand THE FIRES OF YOUTH!_". Tenten just watched from the sidelines as Neji was chastised for what he said. She felt sorry for Lee, seeing his look of despair for a second before his stubborn attitude kicked in. She had seen how he had improved since training under Gai-sensei. But all he could do was taijutsu, so it was hard to believe he would ever be able to beat Neji who was a skilled genius and had the Byakugan at his disposal. "_C'mon, Neji, please don't go all moody on us_ ", she thought to herself. She'd hoped he had finally gotten over his whole "attitude". "You are wrong, Neji! I will prove myself to everyone, as will Naruto, for we are hard workers, and we do not give up. OUR FIRES BURN WITH THE POWER OF YOUTH!", Lee shouted, his eyes filled with a raging inferno. "THAT'S RIGHT, LEE! AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!", Gai shouted, crying tears of joy at the show of youth his student had just given, Neji and Tenten paling slightly, they knew what was coming. "Gai-sensei!" "Lee!" "Gai-sensei!" "Lee!" "Gai-sensei!" "Lee!" "Gai-sensei!" "Lee!". The hugging continued for over five minutes, but for the sake of their sanity and the ability to keep their lunch down, Neji and Tenten had gone back to their training. It took all the self-control they possessed to keep their attention from the nauseating, yet eye drawing event.

With Team 10: After finally finishing their second D rank mission for the day, helping a local farmer harvest his crops, Asuma prepared himself, most of all his wallet, for the traditional post-mission lunch. It almost brought him to tears, each time he received the bill after having to watch Choji practically inhale the majority of the food. He sweat-dropped as he watched Ino dragging a resisting Shikamaru behind her, her fist wrapped in a death grip around the collar of his shirt. He'd apparently given up any chance of getting away and had just given in and let her drag him. "_Even when he doesn't resist he's still lazy_", Asuma thought wryly, taking a deep drag off his cigarette before snubbing it out as it ran out. As the distance between them and the restaurant closed, he could see Choji begin to perk up at the prospect of barbeque. He really wished the restaurant would let him smoke inside, especially since their lunches would last nearly an hour. Technically, only Choji's lunch lasted the hour. The group would just relax as the Akimichi stuffed himself to near bursting with the strips of meat. In the Jonin's eyes, it was like watching the boy eat the bills of money straight from his wallet.

As they passed through the door, he could swear the restaurant owner was wearing what could be considered an evil grin. It made him feel like a cow that was walking in to the slaughter. Taking their usual table, waiting for the food, Ino took the time to rant about the team. He had to admit, it was fun watching them. Ino would constantly yell at the two boys and they would fold, bowing to her will, most often when she began to threaten. "_Wow, she's a real charmer_", he thought after hearing her give a particularly inventive description of Shikamaru in all his lazy glory.

It still brought a smile to his lips when he thought of the other day. The team was training in evasion tactics, basically having a big game of hide and seek in the forest. Ino had been it. He'd watched as she searched for her teammates, her frustration growing by the second. And then Shikamaru had sneezed. He'd nearly fell out of the tree he, he was laughing so hard, seeing the ever lethargic Nara shoot out of the bushes heading in the opposite direction of the blonde like a frightened rabbit from a rampaging bear. Noticing the young Akimichi bring out his personal condiment and spice pack, he leaned back against the back of the booth, resigned to a long wait.

The Land Of Waves, Team 7: The training had gone better, and worse than he'd expected. Kakashi had learned the jutsu he'd taught him, easy enough. The jutsu wasn't all that different from the Fireball jutsu, except that the chakra limiter seal was removed, letting the power be based upon the chakra put into it. It didn't have the distance of the Fireball jutsu, but was meant to disperse over a wide area, the level of chakra used causing it to burn hotter than Fireball jutsu though. Whereas the Fireball jutsu could single out a target, his Great Conflagration was a broad wave of fire. Sakura had progressed at an acceptable rate. It had taken her several attempts before she'd been able to perform the jutsu, and once she had, she was only able to do it two more times before her reserves were too low for another try. His clone had showed her how differing concentrations of chakra could change the jutsu from a flash bomb of light to a small fire bomb. Sasuke had been the one to make the training a real challenge. As much restraint and self-control as he had, his clone had come close to slugging the boy. Uchiha-san was always demanding a better jutsu, something worthy of his time and effort. And even when he'd been able to do the jutsu, using only a sixth of his chakra reserves, he'd gone as far as to demand another jutsu, as well. The clone had adamantly refused on the grounds that he should continue with the same jutsu until he had it mastered. Inwardly, he sighed in frustration. Uchiha-san was too caught up on revenge. If he kept this up he'd either end up dead or alone, in the end. But to simply demand such things…he had no sense of tact, whatsoever.

Unfortunately, that night it seemed Kami was firm in her/his/its' belief that his patience should be further tested as, during dinner, a distraught Inari entered the dining room, his body shaking, fists clenched, face locked into a rictus of hate. "Why are you training so hard?! You're just going to die!"

The room was shocked into silence as all eyes shifted, locking onto the young boy. "Inari, stop that, please!", Tsunami shushed. "Why do you think that?", Naruto asked calmly. It was lucky for everyone that he had voiced the question first, as Sakura had begun twitching as she usually did when she was about to yell at someone. He had an idea why the boy was acting like this, but he needed to be sure.

"What do you think you can do?! Just by training, that you can beat Gato? You're fools, all of you! He'll kill you all!" "Like your father, Kaiza-san?", Naruto asked in a deathly cold whisper, causing everyone to pale at his tone, and some at what he seemed to know. "How-How could you know?", Inari asked, shaking in fear. "Your mother told me", he answered. "I asked about your father; why he wasn't here. And she told me everything". He looked the small boy in the eye, "Kaiza-san was a hero. And as long as he is remembered, a hero he remains". "It doesn't matter", Inari said through new tears rolling down his face. "It doesn't change the fact that you're all going to die", his voice fading to a soft whisper. "Yeah right, Sasuke-kun was the best in our graduating class! He's gonna kick ass!", Sakura cheered confidently.

"Inari-san, you speak as if death is something to be afraid of", alright, now even Kakashi was looking at him like he was unstable. "**IS HE FUCKING NUTS?!**", Inner Sakura shouted. "In life you will find there are some things, in fact, many things that are much worse than death. At which point death could be considered a blissful release". Kakashi looked deeper into his student's eyes. He could see that all this came from first hand experience, and really was a sad prospect. Across from the blonde, Sasuke felt he could relate to what the blonde was saying. There were times when he wanted nothing more than to end it all and join his family.

"I am not afraid of death, that said, neither will I give in to death. We are shinobi, Inari-san. At any time, we could be ordered on a suicide mission, knowing we are going to our deaths", Sakura paled further at that. She knew it to be true, but it wasn't something she often thought about. "We are expected to willingly put the lives of the people we protect above our own lives, just as we now do for your family. But when our time comes, we are each faced with the choice of how we face our end. Instead of bowing to it, I intend to fight against it, even if there is hardly a chance of survival. When it comes to odds, I always survive", "_Even if I don't always want to_", he added in his mind. Inari finally pulled himself back together for one last shot at winning the argument against the blonde shinobi. "What would you know about death, you're alive", he grumbled out in a low voice. He shuddered as he felt a piercing gaze upon him. He wasn't even looking at him, yet he knew there were a pair of blue eyes fixated on him, applying pressure, if that was even possible. "I know more than you could possibly understand. Your grandfather and mother each believe building the bridge will save your village. And they are willing to see it through to the end…even knowing that they face the risk of dying in the process. But while you seem to want to drown in sorrow and self-pity, they continue on and persevere. Unlike you, they are brave", his piece said, he drank a large gulp of his tea to wet his parched throat. Inari, unable to take any more, fled the room. Naruto, knowing what was coming, quickly leaned back from the table, avoiding Sakura's "Fist of Doom". "Naruto-baka, that was cruel!", she shrieked. "Really, was that necessary, Naruto?", Kakashi added. Naruto sighed, "Forgive me, Tsunami-san, Tazuna-san, I may have been a little short with Inari-san". The two seemed to understand, recognizing some truth in his words. "It's alright, kid", the bridge builder growled out. "But, know that what I spoke was the truth, and it will do Inari-san more good to recognize that, than to continue on in such a way. If you want me to, I will go and apologize to him". "No, that is alright, Naruto-kun", spoke Tsunami, Tazuna finishing what she was about to say, "Just let him sleep on it, kid. He needs time ta think on what you said". As wise as the advice was, it still seemed kind of weird to hear it coming from a man who was now chugging a bottle of liquor like he was breathing it.

Later: Naruto sighed as he watched the stars. He was lying on his back in a clearing. After Kakashi had decided to interrupt his privacy on the roof, he'd decided on a change of venue. It was a nice, little clearing, about a half a mile from the house, so technically it wasn't far enough to get the Jonin worked up on his disappearing. And if he fell asleep, Kyubi said she would wake him in the early hours to return.

He kept thinking of Inari, and how, for most of his early years, he'd been just as messed up. Before he'd met his sister, he remembered how he hated everyone in Konoha, simply because they hated him. But Hokage-jisan was there, as were Teuchi-san and Ayame-san, even a select few shinobi. Those few people had brought him from his darkness, and into the light. He was still hated, but with those people believing in him, and caring, it made it easier, worthwhile. Then, after he was attacked, he worried that it was all a ruse, their friendship. It had been sometime before he had learned to know better. Iruka-sensei at the Academy had grown to believe in him as well, often eating with him and asking him to do better on tests, even if he wasn't aware of the blonde's want to be seen as average. And over time, he'd even gained the friendship of Shino-san and Shikamaru-san. And then there were Gai-sensei and Lee, two of the most welcoming people he had ever met. "**And Hinata-**". And Hinata…he shook his head. "Kyubi-nechan? What was that?" "**Oh, nothing**", she answered sweetly, feigning innocence, refusing to face him. They were all people he cared about; they were his reason for continuing on. And if ever came down to it, he would gladly sacrifice himself for them.

AN: Sorry for the lateness. Been busy lately. I was rushed to get the chapter out. The Wave mission was never my specialty, so isn't as good as previous or future chapters. Will get better once back in Konoha.

But I tried my best. OK, I've heard a few questions, so here are some answers.

1. Kyubi, a demon, as the possible Boss summon of normal foxes. I missed that one. But there has to be a link between the two, speculation.

2. For those of you expecting death of Team 7 members, cough-cough Sasuke cough, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Besides, in most fanfictions it's just fun to watch him seeth.


	7. Before The Battle

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

AN: Yeah, sorry for the lateness. A lot has been going on. Towards summer's end I had to help around a lot. And then when the semester started up, I started writing some other stuff. I'll probably submit a few other stories, just as trial runs. But I'll try to update more frequently. Thanks for waiting.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

**_Hello_**/Demon or Summon Thought

Chapter 7

He was a very light sleeper. That said, he was shocked when Kyubi entered his dreams warning him of an approaching figure. It was weird really, instead of suddenly finding himself in a nightmare, he'd just drifted off into a fog. That was the only way to describe it, a world of fog. There was one thing that stood out though, the overwhelming, almost compelling scent. At first he couldn't identify it, but that changed soon enough. Exploring the strange dream realm, he saw a figure in the distance. Yet, no matter what, he couldn't get any closer to it. And it never even occurred to him to wonder why he wanted to get closer to the figure in the fog. His dream was interrupted by his sister's hand on his shoulder, bringing him from his dreams into the area in which she resided.

"_Nechan, what is it?_" he asked politely, staving off the urge to let out a big yawn. The female kitsune giggled at the portrayed image of her brother in his mind. When he didn't notice, or focus, his image would fluctuate, reflecting the feelings that he normally repressed. She remembered how she'd woken him once in the middle of the night, and even though he was acting polite, the mental image of him was yawning widely, it's eye twitching in a glare. She'd nearly fallen over in laughter at the sight. "**You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you, but someone is coming**", she supplied. "_Kakashi-sensei?_", he asked her, there were few people he knew of that weren't Jonin, that could sneak up on him. With his senses being enhanced, and his sister watching over him, provided he wasn't knocked unconscious he could respond to most any threat.

"**No, not him, but it's someone skilled in stealth**", she responded slowly, her eyes closed as she tapped into his senses. Biting her lip in concentration, "**I can't tell. It's not anyone I recognize…But they seem to have noticed that you're here. They're coming toward you**"

Haku's Point of View: She was in the middle of herb gathering to help Zabuza-sama, when a familiar patch of golden hair got her attention. Looking closer, she realized it was the same blonde who had fought with him. Once she'd recovered his body and set him on the path to recovery, he'd made an interesting note about the boy.

-Flashback-

Haku replaced the old bandages around her master's torso. The poultices already healing the exterior damage from the Water Vortex Jutsu he'd caught full in the chest. The former Mist Jonin grunted slightly as she tightened the bandages. "Ugh, always inflicting pain, Haku? Sometimes I think you're a sadist…like me", he chuckled raspily. She just smiled at his comment. He'd often said she was too kind, that she wasn't a killer at heart. "You need to conserve your energy, Zabuza-sama, if you are to fight Hatake-san again", she encouraged. "Next time, I will crush the Sharingan", he intoned in a deadly voice. But she watched as his eyes shifted in thought. "Zabuza-sama?", she asked. "Haku…I want you to be careful when you fight his runts. The girl is easy, and the dark-haired boy could prove an annoyance, but the blonde", he remembered his confrontation with the Genin like it had just happened. When he'd cut into him, his eyes…they weren't the eyes of a child. No…they were the eyes of a predator. The eyes of one used to pain. "Be careful if you fight the blonde. Something tells me he is a greater threat than he seems", the Jonin finished, and leaned back on the bed. Haku stared at him incredulously for nearly a minute, stunned, before leaving to search for medicinal herbs. But here was this same blonde ninja that her master was worried about. In his unconscious state, she could take him out now and he would never pose a threat. "_But why does Zabuza-sama consider him to be a threat? He does not look like much…_". Senbon in hand, she leaned down silently, preparing to stab through the side of his neck, severing the spinal cord, paralyzing him from the neck down. His brain would stop sending messages to his heart and lungs, and he would die. She nearly screamed in surprise when a hand shot out and held her arm in a vice-like grip. The boy's eyes shot open, revealing twin blue orbs, each as cold as ice. "As normal as it is to find someone trying to kill me in my sleep, I'm surprised to find someone in another village trying to do the same. Though, you should give yourself some credit, there are few who can sneak up on me, even in my sleep", he spoke icily. "_Who would want to kill me in Wave?_", he wondered, while at the same time Haku was thinking, "_It's normal to him for people to try to kill him? But Zabuza-sama said they were new Genin, fresh from the Academy. Is this what he meant about him being different?_".

Seeing the weapon as a trio of senbon needles in her hand, the young jinchuriki's eyes widened in understanding. "Ahh, now I see. You are the Hunter-nin. I thought your smell was familiar". To Haku's surprise, he let go of her arm. Getting up, he brushed stray leaves and dirt off of him. Satisfied that he was more presentable, "What?", he asked innocently, seeing the look of confusion on her face. "Why did you let go? Why haven't you tried to kill me?", she asked, as if it were the most obvious question in the world. "You hesitated. When I was still asleep, I could sense your movements, and, for a bit, you hesitated. Most people, whether on orders or not, would have gone immediately for the kill to get rid of an obstacle", his answer adding to the amazement she felt. "An obstacle? What makes you think that you are that much of a danger to me? And if you must know, I was thinking of the quickest way to kill you, that was why I hesitated", she stated uneasily, hoping to throw him off. "Assume what you wish. But I have learned to read a person's intentions very quickly, as, often enough, my survival depends on it". He locked eyes with her, and for the life of her she was unable to look away. Oh, she tried, but it was as if something was physically holding her head in place. "You are far more innocent in life than you speak. I see pain, but also happiness. And there is more good in you than you would believe", he whispered. She though, was nearly as proficient in reading a person, so taking her chance, she tried to discern an idea of who this was she was talking to. Eyes full of sorrow, loneliness, and pain…but also light and warmth. It surprised her, the emotions she saw in those eyes. Few who weren't skilled could tell what they held within. Finally though, she felt the invisible force locking their eyes together fade.

"I will not harm you, unless you make a move to harm me", he spoke, and sat down against a tree some feet away. She nodded, and began to once again pick herbs. "You are making a poultice for Zabuza's wounds then. Tell me, miss Hunter nin-san-" "Haku, please, and I'm a boy" "Naruto Uzumaki. And don't lie. I can tell, you are female. Tell me, Haku-san, why do you follow Zabuza? Most people would be immediately inclined to run the opposite way when meeting him" It shocked her to find out that he could see through her façade. Most people she met never saw through the fact that she really was a she, and not a he as she portrayed herself to throw others off. As much as she tried to hide her laugh, a small smile managed to slip past her guard and passed over her lips. What he said about Zabuza-sama was true. There were times when some employers had peed in their pants upon meeting him for the first time. "Zabuza-sama…found me. I was a child on the streets and he took me in. He made me feel-" "Necessary", he finished. Eyes wide, she looked to the blonde. Naruto remembered, before the accident, when villagers and ninja alike refused to even acknowledge he existed. "Nothing is worse than having no purpose, no reason to exist". She nodded dumbly, "_He knows. But how?_", she wondered. "Why would you be treated like that?", her voice faltering. "If I answer, will you do the same?" "Yes" "Because of what I am. I am a…bad memory. A remnant of a nightmare. And as such I was hated and scorned, as if I was that nightmare." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This boy's past was almost exactly like her own. "And you?", he asked. "I…", she was conflicted about revealing this much information about herself, but he had been truthful, if a little vague. She didn't have to give too much information. "…I was born in the Land of Mist during the Bloodline War. People with bloodlines were being hunted down and killed because of their bloodlines." The blonde, Naruto, nodded as she spoke, "So, he knows a little history", she thought. "So, to stay safe, those with bloodlines hid them. My mother possessed one such bloodline and was able to hide it…until I was born", a tear escaped her left eye. "When I was five, I accidentally activated my bloodline. My mother, she was so scared, she punished me. But my father saw. That same day, my father", she spat the word like it was poison, "He and several villagers killed my mother. And then they tried to kill me. I…I simply reacted. My fear caused my bloodline to activate and everyone was killed. I lived on the streets for two years before Zabuza-sama found me and took me in. He gave me a purpose, a reason to exist."

"Tell me, do you have someone that is…precious to you?" she asked. It gave her some satisfaction to see that this time it was she who had caught him flat-footed. "I'm sorry, what?", he asked, confused as to what she meant. A silent giggle shook her body, even though no sound escaped her lips. "When a person has someone that is precious to them, it is then that they are truly strong". A thoughtful look entered his eyes for a second before answering, "I…think so. There are few, but there are people I know who have shown me great kindness, many who have saved my life, some, my soul, and like you, some who have given me a purpose, to protect them", he answered slowly, weighing his words. "It is when we protect that which is precious to us that we are strongest", she added. From his answer, he was close to understanding. It wasn't because of a feeling of debt that you protected them. When he learned the real reason, his strength would know no bounds. "And Zabuza, he is your precious person?" "He is. I must go", she said, her basket full of the healing plants. "As must I", he answered, standing up. For a second the two regarded each other. Each saw a person of great strength and worth. "I wish you well in protecting your precious person, Haku-san", he spoke, bowing to her. "And I wish you the same, Naruto-kun. I hope we will meet again", and turning, she walked away, soon leaving the clearing and out of sight. Tears fell from his face, "For your sake and mine, Haku-san…I hope we don't", he whispered sadly. If they met again, it would be in battle, a battle where one of them would surely die.

"**I'm sorry, otouto, that's just how it is. You will meet people in life, some will be allies, some will be enemies. Said titles don't say much about them. You can have an ally that you hate, as well as an enemy that you may love. It's just how things are.**", Kyubi spoke up, trying to comfort her otouto. It was unbelievably difficult to get an emotional response from him. But she understood why. The girl was just like him, and like him she'd suffered greatly in life. He didn't want to be the cause of more suffering. "_**He understood most of what she said. But he doesn't quite understand about 'precious people'. She meant more than just protecting them because you owe them. But he'll figure out soon, hopefully**_" Part of her wanted to ask Kami why it is that those who are destined for greatness must suffer, but she knew the answer. It is through struggle that they grow and strive. And in her otouto's case, to protect those that have meaning to him. "**It's nearly 7am, that sensei of yours will be up any minute now…if his porn doesn't distract him. You'd best hustle back to that old grouch's house**".

At Tazuna's, Naruto found the others were still asleep, though Kakashi was just waking up. Sitting at the table, he noticed several odd things about Uchiha-san. He had a slight limp, like his hamstring had gone under considerable strain, and he seemed to favor his left arm, just slightly, and was yawning. He'd been training all night, he guessed. And since Kakashi wasn't hovering over him, he had to assume that the Jonin was responsible. Not that he minded, he was used to training by himself, he just wished their 'sensei' wouldn't leave anyone out. He was a survivor, but Haruno-san was in desperate need to be trained. Of everyone, she needed the most work. She had the stamina and chakra reserves of an infant. Even for a fresh out of the Academy kunoichi, her reserves were small. Incredible control only took one so far. He hated to play the part of the snitch…"_…But if this continues, I'll have to add it to my report to Sandaime-ojisan_", he thought. He'd warned Kakashi, and for a time the Jonin seemed to take his words to heart, but it seemed that the man had a short attention span. Sure, he'd given him the seals for the Water Dragon jutsu, as well as information concerning it, but that was in exchange for teaching them some attacks. He'd chosen those jutsus for one simple reason, they were flexible. Well, that and those were the jutsu on his reject list. He was proud of the jutsus he'd created, but few found themselves on the official family scroll that was hidden back in Konoha. The jutsu that went on that scroll were ones that seemed to fit him, more than others.

"Good morning, Tsunami-san", he greeted the woman who was serving out portions of the breakfast. "Good morning, Naruto-kun", she replied with a smile at the young man. "Well, I'm feeling better, so starting today we'll be splitting up. One of you will watch Tazuna-san while I train the other two of you", the cycloptic Jonin spoke up in a casual manner. "_He'll send Haruno-san_", thought Naruto. The Jonin didn't seem to want to let him out of his sight lately. "Sakura, why don't you go with Tazuna-san, today. And Naruto will take tomorrow's shift." "**Wow…that's surprising**" his sister said wryly. "_He knows as we do that Zabuza will return in a few days. This will give him the chance to prep Uchiha-san further and give him a break the day before the attack is expected. But then again, I could be seeing this a little too cynically. He could actually train Haruno-san until then_". "**Doubtful, bias is a hard habit to kick**".

Once Tazuna and Sakura had left, Kakashi had once more brought the remaining members of Team 7 to the same spot in the forest where they had been tree climbing. Stopping in front of the two, Kakashi rounded on them. "Okay, I think you two need to get a few things off your chests. So, to clear the air, you two will fight a taijutsu only battle. No weapons. I'll decide the winner when I see one of you is unable to continue the fight. Okay?" Looking for the affirmative from them, Sasuke responded with a "Hmmph" and slid into the taijutsu stance he'd been working on with him. After a wordless glance, Naruto nodded his head in assent before moving into a relaxed form of his own. "**It seems he wants to test you both**", Kyubi laughed at the hilarity of how much they underestimated her otouto. "_If that is what he wants…so be it_", he would give the Jonin and the Uchiha a small taste of what he could do, and it would be a test for the completed first kata. "Ready?...Hajime!"

Uchiha-san shot at him with fair speed for a genin. It was a precarious start as he had a tough time dodging, due to his weights slowing him down. The dark-haired boy unleashed a series of quick punches at his face, which he barely dodged, and was almost caught in the legs by a sweeping kick. "What's the matter…can't keep up? Why don't you fight back, dobe", Sasuke spat as he chased the blonde all over the clearing. Without saying a word to acknowledge he'd heard his assailant, Naruto kept dodging and parrying, blocking moves that he couldn't avoid. This went on for nearly five minutes before the Uchiha's anger got the better of him. Already puffing from the exertion of staying on the offensive and keeping up with the blonde, he'd made a high kick to Naruto's face, then set up for a donkey kick to the stomach while his vision was full…but to no avail. After six or seven minutes of fast paced movements, there was a big difference between the two. While the Uchiha was red in the face and sweating, Naruto didn't appear to be winded in the slightest and showed no signs of being close to it. "Why…won't you…fight…me?", the boy panted. "I don't need to, Uchiha-san. You beat yourself by tiring yourself out. If there is one thing I will tell you about myself, Uchiha-san. It is that in a battle of attrition…I have no equal. But if it is a fight you desire, I will give you one". Disappearing in a quick burst of pure speed, he appeared in front of a shocked genin, and bashed him in the skull with a rock hard fist. But that was not the end. As Sasuke's head was lowered by the force of the impact. He watched, stunned, as Naruto's left knee came at his face, smashing into his chin. It was a mystery to him how he came through without a broken jaw, as powerful as it felt. As he was jerked straight up, the same leg, still in the air, extended at the knee and the foot shot into his solar plexus knocking the air out of him. "WHOOOOOF!", he heard Uchiha-san gasp as he fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. Deciding to finish it, he raised his hand to chest level and, palm open and exposed, made a sharp cutting motion. There was a pick up of wind in the area, followed by a "clink" of metal. He had made the attack as weak as possible but as precise as he was able and his hit had been true. "_Thank you, Gai-sensei_", he mentally praised the man who'd helped him perfect his style. And to fill in the gaps he'd added several of his Strong Fist and the Sandaime's Monkey style, which helped to throw off his opponent. "That's enough!", Kakashi barked, shunshining in between the pair and catching the falling Sasuke.

He couldn't believe what he'd seen. Well, actually, he could, but it didn't make it any less unbelievable. Naruto had taken down Sasuke in a series of attacks in under eight seconds. The moves the blonde genin had used were precise and powerful. What little offense he'd used seemed reminiscent of Gai's attack style, but with a combination of dexterity foreign to the style, almost like the Monkey style, both styles he'd seen enough to be able to pick out. And that finishing move, he'd sliced the hitai-ate off of Sasuke's head using a wind attack, without breaking the skin. That took exceptional control and experience with a technique. Sasuke had been to aggressive and wasteful in the fight, using up all his energy in the hopes of keeping his opponent on edge and tiring him out…a bad tactic to use against the blonde. Kakashi doubted he himself could ever really outlast the blonde on a pure chakra and stamina level.

"I…I'm not done…yet", Sasuke croaked, finally managing to refill his lungs with the precious air that they'd forcibly expelled. Pushing away from Kakashi he'd managed to stand, shakily, on his own. "The fight is over, Uchiha-san. I was fully aware of what you would do before the fight began. Your movements, like you, lack patience, the ability to wait. I used your strength against you, and as we see, you can barely stand", Naruto replied calmly. "That is the reason for the jutsu I taught you being a defensive one. You can't always attack. And if you ever get into a fight where you're in over you're head, you not only have to be able to realize it, but to be patient and think your way through instead of just fighting offensively, and stupidly. It was something I'd hoped Kakashi-sensei would have brought up in your private training".

Pulling away from the supportive arm the Jonin was giving him, Sasuke stared hard at the blonde. All the time there was something about the blonde and how he fought that felt wrong. And now, seeing the cold, calculative eyes, with just a hint of pity…it enraged him, for those were the same eyes that HE had looked at him with. His brother. The one he needed to kill. His fingernails bit into his palm as he reined in his emotions. There might be some proof to what the blonde said. He had beaten him, him, an Uchiha, and wasn't even tired. Was there another way to fight? He'd always thought about how he needed to keep pushing forward, it was his policy for life and training. To train defensively…that would mean that he was weaker than his opponent. But he wouldn't need to be defensive if he was stronger than his opponent. All he needed was power, to hell with defense.

"Ne, wasn't that a bit much, Naruto?", Kakashi mused after he'd leaned the bruised Uchiha against the tree. "Says the Jonin with an unofficial apprentice, whi I might add is too hot headed for his own good", the blonde replied, countering the man. "Listen, Kakashi-sensei, in the next fight, Uchiha-san will be facing someone of unknown skill. To be able to hit the precise points in the neck is not something a genin or most Chunin, for that matter, can do. And with his…aggressive nature, do you want Uchiha-san to face someone like that? You know what would be the end result of such a fight", the ring of truth sounding in the blonde's words. Kakashi eyed the subject of their conversation. "At least he can't hear us, over here", he sighed. "True, but I think Sasuke's natural skills should serve him well. And if he faces that faux Hunter-nin, I don't doubt he'll be able to hold his own. And if he needs help, I'm sure you and Sakura will be there to help him finish the job". It was hard to miss the wince on the normally composed face of the blonde. This confused Kakashi to no end, "_Now what's wrong with him?_", he wondered. Outloud, "Is something wrong, Naruto?" "No, nothing" he whispered, to him, a horrible lie, "_It will be my burden to bear_". He could at least guarantee that if it came down to it, he would take Haku's life as painlessly and quickly as possible.

Moving away from the Jonin, he looked for a tree to work against. Kakashi-sensei had ordered him to stay within hearing, but he wasn't planning on doing anything fancy. "This will do", he whispered, looking at the towering giant of an oak in front of him. Cracking his neck, he got into a loose Strong Fist position, and just as he and Lee had done for recent months, began to work the tree over. Extreme physical exertion had always been welcome to him, as the Hokage had once said, "_When you look at something with all your attention it can ruin your focus. You'd be surprised how much clearer things look when you train_". Naruto understood him wholeheartedly. "_Why did it have to be like this?_", he wondered. Not that he would ever admit, but as stoic and restrained as he appeared, at times a hurricane of thoughts and emotions was boiling underneath the surface. Haku was the same as him…an outcast. Hated and feared, just for being alive. "_I don't understand…if Kami exists, how can he/she/it, whatever, allow this to happen?_". He remembered the look in her eyes when she spoke of her past. She had experienced something very close to what he had, and there was no denying how that changed you. Experiences like that…robbed you of all innocence…of your belief in humanity. But they both had found someone who believed in them and their right to live. And now, they would face each other from opposite sides of the kunai. "**This was never something you could avoid. Some things happen for a reason, they mold you into the person you will become**", Kyubi supplied comfortingly.

He could feel his knuckles busting open, his ankles and legs, bruising down to the bone. Pain…pain was good. It was a constant reminder that he was still alive. He paid no heed though as he was lost in his own internal war. "_How is this justified, nechan? If I had met Haku-san in some other place or time…_", he stopped there, not knowing what to say. Kyubi understood though. This was the first human he'd met that he could actually relate to. Someone who could understand him, that he in turn could understand and empathize with. "**Listen to me, otouto. There is darkness in the world, but there is far more light in it. You met that girl for a reason. You may not know why yet, but someday you will…and then you will thank her with all your soul**" "_Even if it is me who kills her?_", he spat, sending a mental glare toward his sister. Ignoring the look of scorn, "**Better you, someone who appreciates the waste of the act, than someone like the Uchiha who will consider it to be just another stepping stone down his dark path. Something I don't think you want Haku-chan involved in**" "_It isn't fair…it's not right…_IT'S NOT FAIR!", and screaming those three words, sent a blast of chakra through his punch, leaving a crater, nearly half a meter across, in the large tree. Clearing his head, "_I'm sorry, nechan, I should not have let my anger get the best of me_", he stated almost robotically. "_I…have been having trouble reigning in my emotions lately_". "**It's alright, otouto, and I know. You're not training by yourself anymore, you're spending a great deal of time with other people. It's only logical that your repressed emotions would bubble to the surface**", and secretly, she was glad. It had been a very long time since he'd shown signs of strong emotion. Though she wished it was a different emotion than sadness. Now, she had an idea why he had been meant to meet that girl. She was a trigger, the initial catalyst in rehumanizing him. The other girl, Hinata, was important too, but it would be this mission that would play a big role. And maybe when it was all done, he would return to the way he was before they'd all beaten the happiness out of him.

That night, dinner was a quiet affair, Inari opting to eat alone in his room. Sakura was giving thoughtful glares at her blonde teammate, after seeing the multitude of bruises on her heart throb. There could only be one reason why her Sasuke-kun was covered in bruises and he, the mute baka, was not. "**Cha! That's it. He sneak attacked him! Sasuke-kun must have been holding back and the baka got behind him and-**", inner Sakura ranted, Sakura's eyes filling with anger. "Excuse me", the blonde spoke quietly, moving away from the table. "Goodnight everyone", and left, heading for the rooms where they rested.

"'Bout time. Loser was killing the mood", she grumbled, earning looks of distaste from Tsunami and Tazuna. "_Oh yeah, feel the team spirit_", Kakashi thought sarcastically. He was worried about the blonde, something that wasn't very common. He'd been acting odd since the talk of the next fight with Zabuza and his fake Hunter-nin. What was really worrisome was the fact that he had been able to peek at his training and not only had the boy not even noticed, but he was pulping the side of a tree. And he seemed almost lost in thought. What could be that disturbing? Was it the Demon? Damn, why did he have to have such a troublesome bunch of students? At times like this, the suicidal missions in ANBU seemed almost appealing. He shook the idea from his head. If he had stayed in ANBU he wouldn't have the time to read his book, nor would he risk the precious item at the hands of a missing nin.

The next morning it was Naruto's turn to guard Tazuna. So, while Kakashi-sensei was lecturing her on the need for her to increase her chakra reserves, the blonde and the old bridge builder left. It wasn't much of a walk. The bridge, and a massive one it was, was less than five miles away. Crates and piles of steel littered the construction site. And though the men worked, he could sense the fear and worry in the air, radiating off of them. Creating several Shadow clones, he sent them to watch over the area from key vantage points. The peaks of the bridge as well as the tops of nearby trees, soon were covered in blondes. If anyone tried to get to Tazuna or his workers then he would see.

Finding the amount of men at the site curious, he asked the old man. "Tazuna-san, are these all of the men in the village?" "Hmph, all that were willing to show up" "Excuse me?" "Gato's been leaning heavily on the villagers, threatening anyone who worked on the bridge. The men here are the ones who either have no family to worry about or have nothing to lose. Even still, they're so afraid that I usually lose a couple a day. The numbers have been dropping ever since we started", the wrinkled old man sighed wearily. Cracking his neck to relieve the tension, "This is the risk that needs to be taken in order for our village to survive and prosper once again. I don't care if it costs me my life as long as I know my daughter and grandson can live a better life." Naruto thought on that for a moment. "…Tazuna-san, would you like a few extra workers?" he asked simply, as if he could summon them out of thin air. If Tazuna only knew how easy it was for him to do it. "Well sure, where're you gonna find-" "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!", the blonde intoned, and soon the end of the bridge was covered in a smattering of young blondes. "Is this enough?" the original, at least the one Tazuna thought was the original, asked. Eyes bulging and mouth agape, the bridge builder could only stutter out "Y-Yeah, th-that'll do." It never ceased to amaze him how many of those things the boy could make. And according to the Jonin, Kakashi, it was a high rank technique, or something.

Workers all over the bridge stared in shock at the shear numbers of the blondes before them. It was a veritable army of blondes! Several even poured out the contents of their canteens, figuring someone had put something in their water.

The day sped up as the blonde army went to work. There was much to be done, but mostly they simple did the heavy lifting, moving equipment and supplies for the workers to save time and energy for them.

Unknown Location: Zabuza grabbed an apple and with a little effort, grunting at the exertion, crushed it. Tossing aside the pile of pulp that was once an apple, he looked to Haku. "Tomorrow" he growled in anticipation, resolute in a faceoff. Haku merely watched from her position across the room. She would do as Zabuza-sama required, but deep down she was afraid of what she would find at the bridge. The boy she'd met in the woods, the boy who was like her, Naruto. "Tomorrow, Zabuza-sama", she responded robotically.

Meanwhile, in his office, Gato was meeting with a select group of bandits and thugs. He had called this meeting in anticipation to Zabuza's next fight with the Konoha ninja. "Zabuza already failed once. If he manages to win this time, kill him, and you'll each receive ten percent of what I was going to pay him. But win or lose, I want you to kill anyone and everyone on that bridge, you got me?" "Yes, Gato-sama", the gathered mercenaries chorused.

At Tazuna's, the Following Morning: Kakashi looked down at the blonde still asleep. Tazuna had informed him of the extent to which he had been helping him. It only made sense that the boy would suffer from heavy chakra drain as he used the chakra intensive jutsu so repetitively. Closing the door to the room as quietly as possibly, he turned to look at the gathered group. "Alright, from this point on we need to be wary of Zabuza showing up. Sasuke, Sakura, you guard Tazuna's sides, I'll lead." "But, Kakashi-sensei, what about the mute baka?", asked Sakura pouting at the earliness of her wakeup call from Kakashi. She didn't see how he got to sleep in when they had to leave so early in the morning. The cycloptic Jonin sighed shaking his head. "Naruto burnt himself out the other day from using too much chakra, he wouldn't be much use in his condition. So, we'll let him sleep. Come on, let's get going."

Naruto waited as long as possible. He needed the other members of Team 7 to think he was out of the picture so he could leave a guard behind for Tsunami and Inari, and it would be best if no one else knew about the protection. Exiting silently from the window, he leapt to the water below, landing on the surface with barely a ripple to show for his drop. Dashing off he headed to the edge of the woods near the house. Looking back at the building, he went through the short handseals. "Summoning Jutsu!" he called out in a hushed voice, a plume of smoke covering the immediate area. As the smoke dissipated, instead of one figure, there were now five. "Naruto-sama?", one asked curiously. He was still very new to the summons so there were few who recognized him. Fortunately, Kado was one to gossip, and word had gotten out among the kitsune and their bosses. "I am. Are you the ones Kado recommended? Tika, Gora, Nobu, and Hitaa?". In response, all four foxes nodded. Each stepping forward to confirm their names. Tika, a vixen, was a sleek kitsune with golden fur, and nearly the size of a fullgrown wolf. Gora, a hulking, scarred, male red fox, who was nearly twice the size of Tika, almost at the same size as Kado was. Nobu, a solidly built, rust brown male, had a nedium build but the look of someone who knew exactly what you were thinking. And finally, Hitaa, a vixen with silvery grey fur a little bigger than Tika, but with a slender frame. Something about her reminded him of a Jonin from Konoha, Anko Mitaraishi, a sadistic fighter.

"I'm expecting someone to try and hurt the people in this house. If anything like that happens, kill the attackers. But make sure nothing happens to the woman and child in the house, understand?" "Yes, Naruto-sama", the quartet chimed. "Thank you" and like a shot he was off to the bridge, somehow he just knew that today was the day. The day that Zabuza would return to finish his attack. The day where he would have to face off against Haku. Bouncing from tree to tree dreading the encounter, but if it was that kind of fight, there was no one he'd be more honored to fight against. Looking like a blur among the branches, leaving behind gashes in the bark where his chakra dug in. "I'm coming", he whispered to the wind.

AN: Again, I'm sorry this is put out so late. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. And if they're out, read/review my other story(ies).


	8. Complications: The Rising Darkness

**Naruto: Shadowed Light**

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did.

AN: Yes, I know that this is very late, but exams are Hell. And with the new class load I have...Nevermind. The detail will be better in later chapters, as I've never been much of a fan of the Wave Mission part of the series. It only got better as the Chunin Exams began. Thank you for waiting and, please, enjoy.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

**_Hello_**/Demon or Summon Thought

Chapter 8

Trees whizzed by, branches even cutting his face. He was moving fast, safety wasn't at the top of his mind. It had been an unsaid promise that he would protect his team, even if he didn't know if they would do the same for him. "**You'll get there when you get there**," Kyubi reprimanded, as she was on edge, as well. Even still, he did his utmost to double his pace, ignoring the burn of chakra through his legs.

Currently At the Bridge: As far as Kakashi could think, things could be worse, but just the same they could have been better. Ducking under a horizontal slash from Zabuza's sword, he made a swipe at the man's kidneys before rebounding back, getting clear of the massive cleaver. "What's the matter, Kakashi? You need to pay attention to our fight, let the brats take care of themselves. "Sasuke is more than prepared for your friend." Zabuza laughed as he went on the offensive. "Haha, Haku's skill is far greater. As my tool, I know so." The copynin was beginning to sweat. Worried thoughts for his students passed through his mind in a flurry. He didn't doubt Sasuke's skill, but they knew so very little about the girl, Haku, as Zabuza had called her. Still, he couldn't let himself be distracted. Gritting his teeth, he rolled into Zabuza's attack, under his guard and went back on the offensive himself.

With Sasuke and Haku: "Crystal Ice Mirrors!" Haku intoned, and called upon her kekkai genkai to form slick sheets of mirrored ice from the very water in the mist and fog. In seconds, Sasuke was surrounded by a dome of multiple mirrors of ice. "_What…is this?_" he couldn't help but wonder, as they encircled him. He was unaware until it was too late that Haku had moved to one of the mirrors and seemed to melt into it. He did notice though, when images of the faux hunter-nin appeared on each and every mirror. The leaf gennin's moment of rest was gone as soon as it had arrived, as senbon began to rain down upon him from the mirror figures, leaving him to dodge as best he could. Running through a few seals, "That's just ice, it'll melt easy enough. Fireball Jutsu!" and released a massive ball of flames mid leap. To his dismay, once the smouldering fires subsided, the mirrors remained as they were, solid and showing no sign of melting.

2 Minutes Later: He wasn't very surprised at what he saw upon arriving, it had actually been what he expected. He could see that Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting evenly enough, but more to the point they were in a battle of skill he couldn't interfere in. So his default option…was Haku. And where else could she be but inside the gigantic ice dome. "_Subtle_," he couldn't help but think. Sprinting, he passed Sakura and Tazuna, doing several things. First, he left a contingent of clones to help guard Tazuna, and second, preformed one of his favorite jutsus. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" in attempts to clear the thick mist to give Kakashi a hand. In seconds, he was at the exterior of the ice mirrors, and slid under the barrier, taking in what he saw. Sasuke, the human pincussion, was falling to the ground, a pair of red, unevenly tomoed sharingan eyes blazing. Several thoughts passed through his head at seeing this. "_He didn't even try the Stone Shield jutsu._" "**Knowing that brat, he probably just kept throwing fireball after puny fireball**," spat his sister in annoyance at the other boy's foolishness. "**I will admit, she does have good aim. For all the needles in him, none are life threatening**." "_Indeed_," he agreed. Snapping her head in his direction, Haku noticed the figure she'd been dreading. "…Naruto…" "Haku"

Kakashi and Zabuza: Kakashi was holding off the giant sword with a kunai, his arms straining against the leverage that Zabuza had over him. They were both fairly well matched as any blow one received was traded with a blow to the other. It seemed to be a never ending battle. "Hehe, the gaki over there is gonna die, Kakashi." "I wouldn't count Sasuke out yet, he comes from a powerful clan." "Clan or no, Haku is easily Jonin level." Kakashi couldn't help but sweat at that statement. "_Jonin level?_" he mused silently. "_Then…I need to finish this so I can help._" Seeming to sense the copynin's thoughts, Zabuza laughed evilly. "I don't think so, Kakashi. You'll be too busy with me to help your student." At that moment though, both shinobi could sense the approaching chakra signature. "Good, he can help Sasuke," thought a relieved Kakashi. "Oh, I thought your group was shy a member. So he shows up now. It's really too bad. I saw the look in that kid's eyes. He's got more potential than anyone I've ever seen before," spoke Zabuza begrudgingly as he swung his massive cleaver in a rising vertical slash at the Konoha Jonin's left side. Kakashi was barely able to escape death but was still caught across the chest by the massive blade, leaving a long cut across his upper torso. "_Sasuke, Naruto,_" he thought, for once not thinking of Kyubi. "_I'm counting on you two to protect them._" And dodging another strike, he launched a counter attack, trying to knock away the sword and get in close.

Back With Naruto And Haku: Naruto stood stiffly, facing his opponent. There was nothing to be done, they had to fight. "Haku" "Naruto" "I…wish you the best of luck in protecting your precious person." Haku understood what he was really saying though. Like her, he didn't want to fight a friend, but had no choice. They both had people to protect. "…And I wish you the same luck, Naruto-san," she answered softly, tears falling behind the mask she was wearing. "Please don't hold back, Naruto-san." "I won't," he replied in finality. An ominous wind blew through the mirrored dome, echoing with the unspoken words, "_I'm sorry._"

He disappeared in a blur, attempting to get behind her. Only, instead of Haku being there, she was at the nearest mirror, disappearing into its smooth surface leaving hardly a ripple. "_That can't be good,_" he mused to himself. Haku had spoken to him about her bloodline limit, but this was the first he'd seen of it. Somehow, he doubted any simple fire jutsu would melt the ice. Especially since he knew the Uchiha had a fetish for flame jutsus. Then again, many of the fire jutsus he knew were more powerful than the unconscious Uchiha's…some by several orders of magnitude. But with his teammate's sleeping form in the dome he didn't relish the thought of using one.

Haku was silent as she gracefully threw volley after volley of senbon. She wanted to knock him out like she had his teammate, but he wouldn't stay still long enough. And deep down, she knew that, like her, he wouldn't stop unless through death.

Fifteen Minutes Later: Both battles, between Zabuza and Kakashi as well as Naruto and Haku, were dragging out becoming fights of skill instead of power. As their strength faded the winners would be the ones of greater skill and endurance.

Naruto bit his lip from the sharp pain as his back was peppered in senbon. Haku was fast. And with the help of her mirrors she was moving between Chunin and Jonin speeds. He'd already resorted to losing his leg weights just to keep up with her. He'd quite harshly rejected Kyubi's offer to help. In this fight, he wanted Haku to have a chance, and to him using the massive youkai would be cheating in the worst way. Feeling a change in the wind around him, he swung his right arm around in a savage haymaker. Haku, attempting to attack him from behind, was caught full in the mask by the iron-like appendage. She was tired, he could tell now. There were few who could match his stamina, but he too felt a level of fatigue. Twitching from the porcupine coverage she'd given him, he walked slowly to the kneeling kunoichi.

"Please, Haku-san, give up," he whispered out as he looked down on her. Her mask was in pieces, the entire right side of her face visible as only the mask's left side was intact. Her lip bled from a small cut from the blow. Shakily, she stood, shoulders bowed, "I cannot, Naruto-san, you know that." Her body shook as she could barely see straight. Trying to move forward, her legs gave out beneath her. This was it, she knew it. This was the end. As sad as she was that she had failed, she was glad that it was at his hands. "Do it," she whispered, eyes downcast.

Naruto's hand shook as it retrieved the wakizashi from it's holster on his leg. But from there he was unable to move. Inside his mind, he was at war with himself. He was a ninja, jisan had taught him well about what ninja were. But as much as he'd accepted the idea and what it implied, he hated it. Killing was necessary, he knew it, but needless killing was an abomination in and of itself. He had come to terms with the fact that he would be the one to end Haku's life, but did he think he would feel nothing?

Time passed, and wondering what was wrong Haku looked up. The boy's eyes shone with sadness, and pain. Her whisper broke the silence, "Please do it, Naruto-san. I have failed Zabuza-sama, my purpose is ended." "It's not right," his deep voice answered laced in pain. "Forgive me, Haku-chan," he whispered, raising the small blade, a lone tear falling. Haku smiled sadly, "There is nothing to forgive. It has been an honor, Naruto-kun," she answered back. Preparing the final strike, he caught the sight of bright light reflected in Haku's visible wide eye. Hesitating, his hand was caught, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, I can't die just yet," and forming several ice senbon stabbed them into his knees. Grunting against the cold pain, he fell to the ground, legs useless beneath him. The dome of ice had faded as Haku had disappeared. His head shot around as he located her chakra signature. "_No,_" he thought as he saw what she planned. But his legs were dead beneath him. He had to watch as she intercepted the lightning covered hand meant for her master, at the same time interrupting the Copynin's summoning, releasing Zabuza. And the seconds that it took for the hand to enter her chest were as years to him, every second, every sound, heightened to its maximum. All he could do was stare as she was pierced by the Jonin's attack. But for the briefest moment, her eyes drifted back to him, and he saw the lights fade from the eyes of his first true friend.

Normal Point Of View: Zabuza laughed maniacally. Haku, even in death had served him to her fullest as her grip relentlessly held the Konoha Jonin in place. "Kami truly was smiling down on me when I found you, Haku. I never would have thought that having a tool like you would have saved me like this." His laughter was coarse and uncaring towards the dead girl who had been so devoted to him. Raising his now free arms, he brought kubikiri houcho up ready to slice through Kakashi, and her at the same time. "Now just hold him right there, Haku," and down came the massive blade. Fortunately for Kakashi, he was able to jump back, taking the Hunter nin's body with him until he could remove his hand from her. Once he'd gained enough distance, he lay the dead girl down, and was able to release his hand from her grip, said appendage coming out with a horrible squishing sound.

He watched in stunned silence as the two Jonin continued to fight regardless. Soon enough though the fight turned once more in Kakashi's favor as he disabled both of the former Mist ninja's arms, one after the other. And it looked like he was about to join Haku in death when a voice from the other side of the bridge broke up the fight. "Well, well, some 'Demon of the Mist' you are. Can't even handle an old bridge builder. How very disappointing." Pissed to have his fight interrupted, "Gato. What are you doing here?!" spat Zabuza angrily. The fat pig of a man laughed cheekily, "I'm here to check on my investment. But it looks like you've failed again." Zabuza'a eyes narrowed dangerously. "And now that you're all too tired to do anything, I can have you all killed." "Gato, we had a deal," growled the Demon of the Mist. Gato laughed heartily, "Hahahaha, you're a fool, Zabuza. I can have you all killed now and only pay a fraction of what I was going to pay you!" The shipping magnate's eyes turned to the lifeless form of Haku. "Oh, what's this? I guess I get to get a little revenge after all." And walking over to her body, proceeded to kick in her ribs. "That's for nearly breaking my arm, bitch!" he chortled evilly.

Naruto could feel his fingernails and canines itch as they lengthened and sharpened; that familiar sensation of when he used his nechan's chakra. His fist, balled in fury at everything that had happened, was already bleeding where the nails were digging in. Most people would describe him as cold or distanced. But to the rare few, he was passionate and very protective. Haku had been one of those people. He didn't think he could ever wholly forgive Kakashi for striking her down, but he would not allow Gato to further hurt her body.

During the diatribe that Gato had started, he'd managed to drag himself over to Kakashi and Zabuza, knowing the situation had changed just as he and Kyubi had expected. It would have been easier had he been able to remove the needles, but Haku had hit several nerves that, even at the rate he healed, would take the better part of a day to correct. Pulling himself into a sitting position, he looked at the back of the former Mist-nin, and former enemy. "How can you allow Gato to continue, Zabuza?" he asked, a hint of venom to his voice. Not even turning around, "What's the point, kid? Haku is dead, that's just a corpse." "Bastard-" "Naruto!" chastised Kakashi, but the blonde continued. "Haku is dead, nothing can change that, but you would allow Gato to further defile it?" "…kid-" "She thought of you like you were her father. She loved and cared for you like she was your own daughter. And now you simply abandon her?!" "That cuts deep, kid," spoke Zabuza quietly. It was then that Naruto could hear the faint sound of tear droplets falling from the missing-nin's face hit the concrete. The man was crying. "Haku…she always was too soft…never wanting to kill, but she did it anyway because I told her to." Using his teeth to remove the bandages from his face and mouth, "It looks as if I'm no longer your enemy…Kakashi, a kunai." Sighing, the Copynin retrieved his remaining weapon from his waist-side satchel and tossing it to the man. "Here." Zabuza, catching the weapon in his teeth, fixed the masked blonde with a hard stare before turning to face Gato and the horde of thugs gathering behind him. Without a single word he hurled himself at the small army of mercenaries. His only goal was Gato and he diodn't care how cut up he had to get to get to him, and drag him to Hell. The mercenaries, formerly secure in their belief that they would win, screamed in fear at the blazing eyes of a Demon that was cutting through their ranks, unstopping no matter how many weapons hit him. And for every weapon that struck he came ever closer to the cowering form of Gato. "Kill him! KILL HIM!!" the man shrieked in terror at the demonic visage bearing down on him. Appearing behind the pig-man, "What's wrong Gato?" Zabuza growled into his ear words slurring around the kunai in his mouth. Turning his head, Gato met blazing eyes radiating pure death. Through clenched teeth he delivered his last message. "Come on, Gato, the Devil's waiting." And in a quick motion, used the kunai in his mouth to slash at the man's neck, opening a shallow wound. Gato, struggling with the pain, clapped his hand to his throat only to cry out in pain as the 'Demon' once more buried the weapon in him, this time in his chest. This wasn't a man, it was a monster! Those were his last thoughts as the world went black and he felt himself fall from the bridge.

Everyone stared in awe and terror at the figure of Zabuza ghosted them all to kill Gato. Zabuza, vision becoming tunnel-like staggered back to the form of Haku, but hit the ground several yards away. The mercenaries though, snapped out of their confusion and fear as he fell. "Hey, that was our meal ticket?" one shouted angrily. Disgruntled shouts arose from the crowd at what had just happened. "Let's raid the fucking village! At least then we get something!" another suggested. The idea seemed agreeable as all the mercenaries yelled approval before starting to move across the bridge.

Kakashi was worried. He'd wasted too much chakra fighting Zabuza, and now this…They couldn't fight them all. "This was what I planned for, Kakashi-sensei," he heard from the ground bellow him. Looking down, he saw his masked student pulling senbon from the pincushions that were his legs. "Your 'Plan B'?" "Yes." Slicing his hand with a kunai in preference to lowering his mask and biting his thumb, he went through several hand seals. Hand seals Kakashi immediately recognized. Slamming his hand to the concrete, he let out a muffled "Summoning Jutsu!" Kakashi was at a loss. "_How-Where did he-_". A large cloud of smoke billowed out encompassing their portion of the bridge. Soon enough though, it cleared, and Kakashi's shock was exceeded only by the fear felt by the bandits and mercenaries. There, in front of Naruto were a pair of foxes, that alone was worthy of interest. What really got his attention was that each was the size of an elephant. This could either be really bad, or really good. Time would tell.

The key to summoning was being able to focus on the summon that you wanted. The greatest determinant was the amount of chakra put into it, but if you didn't focus on a specific summoning you got potluck. So, at this time, Naruto had tried to summon the equivalent of two Jonin. He ended up with a large male, silver fox and a smaller, yet equally large black female fox. The two vulpine summons twisted their necks looking at the people behind them, first at Kakashi before settling on Naruto. "**You are our summoner? The one known as Naruto Uzumaki?**" the female asked. "I am," he answered. "**What are your orders, Naruto-sama?**" they both asked in unison, bowing their heads. Naruto pointed to the mercenaries at the opposite end of the bridge, currently frozen in surprise. "Them. Kill them. If they retreat, let them go." The two foxes smiled toothily at him before bounding at the crowd of bandits, who soon began screaming in fear and pain at the attacking foxes. Kakashi, as surprised and worried as he was at this particular summoning, couldn't fault his blonde students logic. The bandits needed to be dealt with. And with Naruto's legs currently disabled and himself low on chakra, the summons would have to do.

Once their work was done, the two summons trotted back to their summoner, the bridge shaking somewhat under their combined weight. Stopping in front of him they sat back on their haunches, before licking the blood from their fur. "**Do you require any further assistance, Naruto-sama?**" the female asked. Her curious eyes looking him over. The male, silent the whole time, bent down to look closer at his needled legs. "**Are you alright, Naruto-sama?**" he asked in a scratchy, growling voice. Naruto nodded, saying "I will be fine. Please, do not use 'sama' with my name though. You are my partners, not my subordinates. I was just unable to assist you this time." "**As you wish, Naruto-san/kun**," they responded together before disappearing in twin clouds of smoke with 'poofs' of displaced air. Sighing, Naruto went back to his current task, de-needling his legs. So far, he'd managed to remove them down to his knees but there were still many left in his calves.

"Naruto." Naruto sighed. He'd expected this. "I know, Kakashi-sensei. I know." Kakashi undoubtedly wanted to question him about his summoning foxes in relation to him carrying the Kyubi. "I should remind you that I told you I was working on a project. And that I had Sandaime-ojisan's permission. But can we talk about this later? We have company." On cue, the entire village showed up armed to the teeth with any and all improvised weapons. Inari, armed with a crossbow, stood in front as the leader. And to his sides were the fox squad that he'd left to look after him and Tsunami. "Umm, are we late?" he asked.

For the rest of the day, and into the night, the village celebrated there newfound freedom from Gato's tyranny. It wasn't until that night though that Naruto was fully recovered from the needles. Sasuke was bedridden as he had no means to speed his recovery, and Sakura was sticking to his bedside like a true fangirl. And Kakashi, as tired as he was, pushed it off as long as he could so he could have a 'chat' with the masked blonde about the summons he'd used. But he wouldn't see the blonde again until the middle of the night. When he did return, Naruto was followed by a clone. The original and the copy were each carrying a wrapped body which he treated with the reverence of a loved one. Thinking about it, Kakashi could only think of two people. "Zabuza and Haku?" Naruto nodded before placing the two in a spare room until he could give them a proper burial. Returning to the dining room, he sat at the table. "My clones are cleaning off the bridge," he said quietly.

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Naruto, about your summons." "A few years ago, Kyubi-nechan gave me the idea and I went to the Hokage with it. He gave me permission to continue as long as I gave him frequent updates on our progress." "So Kyubi helped you to design the contract?" Kakashi asked suspiciously. Knowing where Kakashi was going with this, "Yes, she did. And so you know, she has my utmost confidence and trust, and-" "But it's a demon!" Naruto narrowed his eyes, "She may be a demon, but after explaining why she attacked, the Hokage trusts us both." Kakashi blinked. There was a reason behind the attack that had gotten the Sandaime to give Kyubi leniency? "What was the reason?" The blonde paused thoughtfully for several seconds before answering quietly, nearly whispering. "That is a truth you are not yet ready to hear, Kakashi." Shaking his head in agitation at the conversation, "The creation of this contract was sanctioned by the Hokage, as have all my projects." "Projects?" Feeling somewhat secretive, "Ask Sandaime-ojisan," he replied stiffly before getting up and making his way to the room he shared with his emo teammate, leaving Kakashi to dwell on the recent things he'd learned about him.

It wouldn't be another two and a half weeks before the bridge would be complete, allowing Team 7 to leave. But before they did, they made a last stop at the graves of Haku and Zabuza. Naruto had been able to acquire headstones for each of the graves. For Haku's though, he'd had it engraved with the name _Haku Momoichi_, honoring her with what she really wanted, to be Zabuza'a daughter.

Unfortunately, Sasuke in his ever blunt attitude couldn't help but let out a derogatory remark about how they were 'weak'. "Why'd you even give them a decent burial anyway, Mute-baka," Sakura asked. Naruto waited several seconds before answering. "An enemy in battle is not a true enemy. Zabuza and Haku fought to follow their dreams, we were simply in their way. We were opponents, obstacles: never truly being enemies. Just as they were never our enemies. Either way, they were, at heart, good people, deserving a decent resting spot," he whispered respectfully. "They were weak, and they died, that's all there is to it." Naruto shook his head. "I pity you Uchiha, you don't understand. I hope that someday you do. Until then, show some respect before I make you," spitting the last part out through clenched teeth. Sensing the rising KI from his masked student, Kakashi felt it wise to end the argument before it began. "Ma, ma, let's go. We've got a lot of distance to cover before the day is out." Taking one last look to the two graves, Naruto turned and followed the others.

Later that afternoon, the Team was in for a shock when a 'poof' and a cloud of smoke erupted from next to their blonde member. Once it had cleared, it revealed a familiar horse-sized silver fox. Breaking the silence, "Kado?" Naruto asked in confusion. "**Who else?**" the fox asked sarcastically. "Why are you here?" "**You promised you'd summon me and show me the human world…and I guess I got bored, hehehe**" chuckled the massive fox, managing to look embarrassed. Both Kakashi and Naruto sweat dropped at the casual nature of this summons. Sakura stared in awe. And Sasuke…Sasuke looked envious. Shaking his head, "Team 7, I'd like to introduce Kado. Kado, this is Kakashi…sensei, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno," he spoke, introducing them. "Kado is something of a liaison between me and my fox summons." "**Yeah, he wanted the most badass fox as his representative, and well…I had nothing else to do at the time**," spoke the silver fox, puffing out his chest and absentmindedly examining his claws. Naruto resisted the urge to smack the summons upside its head, though he couldn't tell if it came from his nechan, himself, or both. Kakashi, after a period of nervousness, struck up several amiable conversations with the fox. Trying to get information about their trustworthiness, he asked about the fox summons in general, at least at first. Often he'd discuss his relationship with his nindogs which would lead to an argument between the two over which were better, dogs or foxes. "**Don't ever introduce him to that Inuzukza boy**," Kyubi suggested. "_Agreed_."

For the entire trip, Sasuke was contemplating the enigma that was Naruto Uzumaki. Kakshi had told him that he trained himself extensively. And he'd apparently been able to create a summoning contract. _Create_ one! One needed years of experience in seals even to attempt such a thing! And not only that but the creator of the contract as well as all users needed to be accepted by the summoned animals. The dobe, he was hiding his true strength. He had from the start and still was! There was no way he should have this strength when he, an Uchiha, deserved it more! After his loss to the female Hunter-nin, someone that his teammate was able to defeat, he felt so very frustrated. He trained himself hard, and it seemed that still wasn't enough. Especially if this…loser still outclassed him…him! His fists clenched, joints creaking, as emotions like anger and jealousy played across his face. Not that he, Sasuke Uchiha, Rookie of the Year, would ever admit to being jealous of anyone. He needed to get stronger. Then a thought came to mind. Perhaps, if he proved himself stronger than the blonde, his summons would take him as their summoner instead. They were strong, he could tell. A summons worthy of the Uchiha name as memories of the Kyubi struck fear into everyone. He smirked, the dobe's power would be taken and made his own, soon.

Kado stuck around just until they got within the forests surrounding Konoha. Sensing that this was a secret best kept such for now, he had Kado return. Sulking, the fox left, giving him a respectful bow. Soon enough though, the massive gates of Konoha came into sight. At which time Sakura made the point of whining about how much of a pain it was, going so long away from family, her home and her own bed. No one said anything in response, choosing to let her get it out of her system, which was a hell of a lot easier than making themselves targets of conversation. Though in Sasuke's case, he didn't have much say in the matter as she continually tried to start a conversation with him. "**As emo as he is, I think…I think I actually pity that little bastard**," muttered a shocked Kyubi. Though that feeling was short lived when the last Uchiha sneered at him. "**Then again, I hope she rots his brain**," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance at the person she would from that point on dub 'the emo bastard'. "Come on," spoke Kakashi lazily as they entered the gates. "We need to report to Hokage-sama." He said it with the utmost sincerity before his voice immediately took on a girlish quality and giggled when he turned to a new page in his book.

Naruto couldn't help but think about what Sakura had said. "_Home…_" Would he ever be able to call it that? He knew the darker side of Konoha that few ever saw. As such, it was hard to think of the place he'd grown up in as 'home'. To him, home was an unknown. He didn't fight for his home…he fought for the people in it…the people who had been kind to him. Someday though, he hoped to call Konoha home. "**Home is where the heart is, little one**," supplied Kyubi supportively. "**As long as there are people you feel protective over, where they are, that is your home.**" "_I understand, nechan_."

Soon enough, they'd entered the Kage tower and were given notice by the Sandaime's secretary that he could see them immediately. Pushing the doors open for his team, Kakashi let out a lazy "Yo" to the Hokage before getting to all the formal details. "Hokage-sama, Team 7 reporting a successful mission."

The Hokage smiled in relief at the Jonin and his team of genin. "That's good news indeed, Kakashi. I must say, I was worried when our ANBU picked up the two missing-nin outside of Konoha." "Well, there were several changes to the mission, Hokage-sama. Instead of being a C, or even a B rank what with the attack of those two Mist Chunin, it turned out to be an A rank." The Sandaime's eyes widened in surprise, "Tell me everything," he ordered in a serious tone. Kakashi managed to tell the entire tale of their mission without reading his book, though it seemed he couldn't do so without his usual bored tone of voice. Finishing up, Kakashi decided to point out something he needed to talk about. "And at the end, with Sasuke unconscious, Sakura guarding Tazuna, Naruto disabled at the legs, and myself too low on chakra, the mercenaries tried to pillage the town. Fortunately, Naruto's summoned foxes managed to deal with them quickly enough." Sarutobi caught the emphasis on 'foxes' and understood what he was getting at. He had informed Kakashi that Naruto was a bit of a wild card, but not in any detail. Now it seemed that the Jonin was in need of some answers. Sighing to himself, "Very well, Team 7 you are dismissed," he spoke waving them off. "Kakashi…Naruto…stay behind for a minute will you." Sakura and Sasuke paused questioningly only for the Copynin to eye-smile at them, "It's okay. You have tomorrow off. We'll meet on the bridge Thursday at 8AM sharp." Sakura left to head home immediately, but Sasuke dragged his feet, looking murderous at missing what would undoubtedly be an informative conversation.

Once the doors had closed, the Sandaime turned his gaze onto the two shinobi before him. "I sense you have a great many questions, Kakashi." "Yes, Hokage-sama." "About Naruto," he said, nodding to the blonde in his cloth mask, blue eyes showing attentive boredom. "Yes, sir." "And do you object, Naruto?" the old man asked only for the blonde to shake his head to the negative before vanishing in a puff of smoke. "Very well, Kakashi, ask." "Sir, what is his real level?" "Chunin…at the very least," answered back the aged leader. "After 'the incident', he dove into his studies. It's amazing really, the boy has a knack, if you will, for learning, modifying, and even improving jutsus. Whereas many would try to learn as many jutsus as possible, he chose to learn one at a time, breaking it down and examining each and every angle of it before learning another. And, often enough, he can take what he learned from looking at a previous jutsu and create a completely new version." Sarutobi smiled thoughtfully. In that way, he always reminded him of Jiraiya and Minato as both chose to master a jutsu over just learning it. "So he creates jutsus?" "Indeed. It's a hobby of his. Unfortunately, the ones he does create aren't for anyone below Jonin level." "Sir?" "The majority of the jutsus he's created are B Class and up." Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. That was…incredible. "After he recovered from the trauma of what had been done to him, he dove into jutsu studies, a world of things that he could control, a world with rules. In fact, the R and D department have been trying to recruit him for the last year and a half. Fortunately, he still takes up the odd project here and there for them." Kakashi was shocked. R and D wanted him? They were a division of ANBU that specialized in research and creation of jutsus, and they wanted to recruit someone who hadn't even been a Genin at the time! Kakashi shuffled to the chair next to him, sitting heavily in it. "So he's a genius." Sarutobi frowned, "I wouldn't say that. He just never gives up on something until it's finished. And then there is Kyubi. She is a crafty vixen. I don't doubt that he bounces amny ideas off her." "Then you do trust Kyubi?" Nodding to the affirmative, "I learned the truth behind the attack…and no, I can't tell you. All I can say is that she was a victim as well and that I trust her and Naruto." "Hokage-sama, I just have one question left." Relieved, the aged leader waved the younger of them on. "The summon contract he created." "Ahh, I was waiting to hear about that!" the Sandaime replied, stuffing his newly cleaned pipe with his favorite tobacco. Lighting it with a small fire jutsu, he took a long drag before letting out a deep sigh. "The Fox Contract was originally something that was brought up by Kyubi and Naruto. And was confirmed by discussing it with Enma. He mentioned that the Foxes had never had a summoning contract, and further discussing it with Naruto and Kyubi, we came to the conclusion that it would be worth attempting. It took several years though for young Naruto to learn enough about summoning seals to even attempt it though. I really wish he'd finished it when I was around though," he finished, somewhat annoyed. "Then there is no problem with it?" "Well I will have to look over the contract myself before I answer that, but from what you've said, it seems to have gone along splendidly. Kyubi surmised that with her youkai in Naruto's system that they would immediately recognize him, allowing him to be their summoner. Though their loyalty to anyone other than him is a question…" "But sir, that much power-" "I trust that boy with my life and the lives in this village, Kakashi." "But such a contract is a match for-" "For either of the Sannin's contracts, I know. Again, I trust the boy not to abuse its power, as such a thing just is not in him." "Very well. Thank you, Hokage-sama." His questions appeased, for the most part, Kakashi turned an left, though questions still lingered in his thoughts. He made a mental note to see some of his blonde student's work.

Leaning back the Sandaime puffed aimlessly at his pipe for nearly a minute before speaking up to the empty room, "_Minato-kun, you'll never know the potential he has…_" It wouldn't be for several hours, long into the night, that the relative peace would be broken by a shriek from the Hokage's Tower. Hands shaking, he refolded the paper and put it into his desk. He'd been reading the rsvp's to the upcoming Chunin Exam when his eyes fell on a letter from the land of Whirlpools. It wasn't a truly strange occurrence. Whirlpool was small, though its shinobi were strong, preferring quality over quantity. And it had been a while since Whirlpool had sent any ninja, nearly two decade, at least. But this latest letter…bearing a name he never expected to see again. A name that worried him to read…Kushina Uzumaki, Jonin sensei to Whirlpool. After his initial shock filled scream, he had immediately ordered a squad of ANBU to track down his student, and told to look specifically around all onsen in Fire Country. "_Oh Kami, what does this mean?_" he wondered, his head in his hands. That night…that horrible night…she had been reported dead due to complications in childbirth…Naruto's birth. And she was alive all this time! Oh gods! This was the kind of thing that could kill the blonde, if not drive him over the edge!

AN: I'm not much for cliffhangers after reading several stories that had them. Chapters including the Chunin Exams and later should have greater detail. I'm also writing somewhere around a dozen other stories, at the moment mostly Naruto crossovers. Thanks for reading!


	9. The Calm Before The Storm

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did,

as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

_**Hello**_/Demon or Summon Thought

AN: Sorry for being late, it's been a busy Summer and an even busier semester. I'll try to update my other stories soon, too. I do not abandon my stories. I will finish them.

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Chapter 9

Sighing contentedly, he headed back to his apartment to clean up before meeting the old man. The Chunin had interrupted his training with the message. It wasn't too unusual to meet the Hokage and give him an update on his jutsus, but there was something odd about receiving a reminder. He pushed that thought away as he remembered that he undoubtedly wanted to discuss his latest creation, a prospect that made a great deal of sense.

Once he'd had a quick shower and redressed, he gathered all the materials he'd used in creating the summoning contract. Sealing it all in a storage scroll, and locking his door, including the security seal, he left.

Five minutes later, he was standing in front of the reception desk outside the Hokage's office. "Good morning, Mira-san," he greeted the Chunin kunoichi politely.

Looking up from her paperwork, the spectacled woman returned a small smile of recognition. "To you as well, Naruto-san," she answered.

"I have an appointment," he said simply, sinking into their normal routine. She was more cooperative than most of the other people who worked for the old man, thus he got along with her. She had also been there long enough to know that he had standing appointments with the Hokage in certain circumstances, like today.

"Yes, Hokage-sama is waiting. Go right on ahead."

Naruto bowed his head, grateful. "Thank you, Mira-san," he spoke quietly.

"You're welcome."

Approaching the massive twin doors, he knocked soundly against them. "Enter." It wasn't until he had entered and the two doors closed that it struck her: he wasn't wearing his ANBUesque mask! Sadly, she was so used to his visits that his face was covered in a haze as she tried to recall what he looked like. Few people could actually remember what the boy looked like, besides his shockingly blonde hair.

* * *

"Ahh, Naruto-kun. Early as usual," stated the elderly kage. Smiling kindly, he motioned for the young blonde to take a seat before finally taking his own seat once again. It brought hope to him, seeing the blonde without the one of the usual white masks he'd worn for years. While he was wearing a cloth one, it still left the upper portion of his face uncovered, an improvement if he ever knew one. Concealing a small groan, he sat back against the worn chair, and taking a deep drag on the dregs of his pipe, he let the comforting smoke calm his nerves. There was no way he wanted the younger shinobi to know he'd been here all night after reading the missive from Whirlpool. The boy was observant, but he wasn't a kage for nothing. "So, let us talk about this summoning contract. I haven't seen it for a while. I would enjoy looking it over. I trust you brought it with you?"

"Of course," he answered with a nod and pulled out the storage scroll. Sarutobi, in anticipation of seeing the young man's latest piece of work, cleared off his desk to make room.

The elder stared in amazement at the unrolled contract before him. It truly was a work of art, just like all summoning contracts. Under intensive scrutiny, it became obvious that everything was as it should be, nothing out of place or unaccounted for. Listening to the young man describe the processes he'd gone through to complete it, with the help of Kyubi, he began to think again about the potential the boy had. It crossed his mind that if he had studied sealing, as a whole, he could become a master of the art just like Jiraiya, or…him. Leaning back into his chair, he steepled his fingers in restrained anticipation. "Well then, how about a demonstration."

Nodding in agreement, Naruto nipped his thumb with an incisor and went through the necessary seals. Molding the precise amount of chakra, he gently slammed his palm to the floor, whispering "Summoning Justu."

The smoke which filled the office cleared to reveal a silver, horse-sized fox looking around and grinning in amusement. "**Alright! I'm BACK!**" the decidedly male fox declared excitedly.

"Kado, I'd like you to meet the leader of our village, the Hokage. Hokage-sama, this is Kado, my…liaison with the foxes." The two looked each other over for several moments before the fur covered one spoke up.

"**You smell like monkeys.**" That simple statement almost made the elderly kage face fault into his desk. "**You're a Sarutobi, aren't you?**" The old man looked on in momentary surprise before realizing how the fox could know.

"That's right. I assume you've heard of my family through Enma and his group."

"**Well, that, and you smell like monkey**," replied the fox with a chuckle.

"I think I'll add another to our group," Sarutobi added, and in a flourish of seals and a cloud of smoke, the Boss summon of the monkey tribe was with them in the office.

"**Sarutobi, why have you summoned me? Oh, it's you**," the man-sized ape spoke, turning deadpan upon seeing the silver fox.

Said fox chuckled deeply to himself, "**Heya, Enma-sama. I see you were able to wash out that tree sap.**"

The leader of the monkey summons glared back at the fox, his eyes promising retribution of some kind. A look that only caused the fox's chuckling to deepen into full-blown laughter.

"Enma?" Sarutobi asked, thoroughly confused at what they were speaking of.

"**This little upstart thought it would be funny to coat myself and the elders in a very strong tree sap. And then cover us in buzzard feathers. We chased him through a group of younglings…They thought we were monsters and pelted us with fruit.**" Sarutobi was struggling with the laughter he was holding in check, which was becoming increasingly difficult as time passed.

Finally, Enma turned his focus on the young blonde. "**So you've established a contract with the foxes, have you?**"

"Yes, Enma-sama," Naruto confirmed.

Enma nodded appreciatively. "**And you would do well to feel honored for holding such a contract. We summons are not to be taken for granted,**" the ape advised sagely.

Naruto nodded in understanding, he knew what the ape boss was implying. He was telling him not to take his new allies for granted, something he had no intention of doing, and to be respectful of them.

Their summons dismissed, Kado somewhat reluctant as he whined about exploring the village, Naruto was dismissed as well. Without any plans for anything else, he decided to search out his unofficial taijutsu teachers. Knowing them, he needed to look no farther than Training Ground 17. They were there every day, religiously, training themselves to their limits.

* * *

The moment Naruto left his office though, Sarutobi resumed his flurried search. ANBU had reported seeing him in a nearby town. If that was true then he would undoubtedly stop in anytime over the next few weeks. The message he'd sent should make its way through his information network, reaching him any time now. And if his urgent request didn't get him here fast his 'research' wouldn't allow him to pass the village by.

* * *

The days resumed and so did the droll D ranked missions. Sarutobi had no intentions of letting them take on a C rank any time soon after the last supposed C rank. Either way, Kakashi didn't object. With more relaxed conditions he could read his precious Icha Icha to his heart's content. Training resumed, such as it was. The Uchiha was being trained in private, still, said training being upped since the mission to Wave. Not that it bothered Naruto, he was still perfectly alright in his current training. He worried somewhat for his female teammate, Haruno-san. Kakashi showed her very little attention as a sensei. It was his worry that her skills, as meager as they were to begin with, might continue to atrophy and detriment the team. Though Kakashi was still pushing team spars, most strongly between Naruto himself and Uchiha-san. He suspected the Jonin wanted to push him into using his personal jutsus and techniques so he and the Uchiha could copy them. Personally, he wondered how surprised they would be if they did. Pretty much all of the jutsus he'd created and the ones he used were all chakra intensive. He doubted that the Hatake would be able to copy them, and he knew for a fact that his teammate didn't have the chakra necessary to use them. Kyubi seemed to think it would be funny to let him try; ignoring the fact that such an act could possibly kill the Uchiha scion.

* * *

Two Weeks Later: Sixty-one attempts, that was how many times Naruto could count that Tora, the cat of the Fire Daimyo's wife, had runaway, and those only counted the times his team had recaptured the cat. "_I feel sorry for the creature_," he thought upon returning the creature to its overly affectionate owner and seeing its eyes bug out from her bear-like squeezes.

Sakura, and Inner Sakura, along with Kakashi, were all thinking along the same lines of: "_That's right, squeeze it! Take that you little terror!_" Their inner thoughts carried a certain savagery, and were gleeful at the prospect of catching the cat with kunai the next time around. Sasuke, ever the emo simply glared at the little beast like it wasn't worthy of his attention. The only actual sign of emotion was the absentminded fingering of a weapon every time he saw the feline. Tora had no idea how much Team 7 wanted him dead.

"Alright, why don't you all take the day off."

Everyone, even Naruto, froze at the Jonin's words. Sure, he didn't teach Sakura and Naruto anywhere near the level as Sasuke, but he never gave them the day off, usually forcing the least interesting of the two to do laps, to increase their reserves, and work on their chakra control, most often targeting Naruto. What the others missed was Kakashi's lazy glance back to the hawk up above the training ground. For just that once, he and Naruto shared the same thought. "_So, it's that time again_."

* * *

"_He'll enter us into the exam. There isn't any other reasoning for letting us off_," he thought to himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to compete, but as a team, they weren't ready, not really. Sakura was smart, but was the weakest physically, her skills outside a book being nearly nonexistent. He and Sasuke would have to look after her constantly. Sasuke had yet to remove the Hokage sized chip from his shoulder. And having a pension for fighting could often get one killed in the exams, depending on which form of the test was given. And he himself was still having trouble with being on a team. Not that he didn't try, but after so long of being alone it just felt natural.

"**Keep thinking like that and you're all gonna die,**" Kyubi reprimanded from within his mind.

Frowning, he knew she was right. Doubting oneself lead only to one place…the morgue, if there were any pieces of you left. "_The exams are dangerous. We've read the reports of the past exams and there was almost always a five to ten percent fatality…minimum_," he answered back.

Kyubi shrugged, hair spilling across her shoulders, "**Yeah, well, no offense to the losers who died, but they don't have a kickass sister like me nor were they as strong as you are.**" He shook his head at his sister's shameless plug at her own ego.

Arriving at the training ground, he knew Gai and at the very least Lee were there what with muffled cries of "Yosh" and "Flames of Youth". It wasn't really that bad training with them. He himself had eventually learned to tune them out when they began to rant, though that rather unorthodox genjutsu they used was somewhat disconcerting…okay, very disconcerting. His sister often began screaming insanely whenever the sunset illusion appeared.

"**I know what you're thinking, and in my defense that genjutsu or whatever it is is a crime against the natural world**," she countered with a pout, picking up on his thoughts.

Soon enough, he came upon the figures of Lee and Gai sparring, Tenten and Neji both observing from the tree line, and in Tenten's case, occasionally chucking a few kunai and shuriken at the pair of taijutsu users.

"YOSH, LEE, YOU ARE DOING WELL TODAY!"

"THANK YOU, GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

Their fight paused to shift into a series of hugs. "**Aaaagghhhhh! Evil! It's eviiilllll!**" Kyubi shrieked in horror. Tenten and Neji were both veterans of countless scenes just like this so their reactions were muted. And Naruto, well, he'd seen worse.

"Uzumaki"

He turned his head to focus on the duo closest to him. "Hyuga-san…Higurashi-san," he greeted mildly.

"Hey, blondie," spoke Tenten, far cheerier than the stoic Hyuga at her side. She always picked at him for his near neon yellow hair color. Sure, the Yamanaka were blonde but nowhere near as blonde as he was.

"NARUTO-SAN!" screamed Gai and Lee in unison, greeting him, after their youthful hugging had finished. In a flash of bright white teeth and green spandex, the duo was upon him.

He gave a small, polite bow to the pair. "Maito-sensei…Lee-san," he greeted in return. Being far familiar with Gai and Lee, he was used to referring to Lee by his first name, as they often trained together. If anything, Gai and Lee were two of the few people who actually knew a little about him.

"NARUTO-SAN, YOU HAVE RETURNED! WAS YOUR MISSION A SUCCESS?" roared Gai.

Lee, unable to help himself, added to his own thoughts. "OF COURSE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, NARUTO-SAN BURNS WITH THE FIRES OF YOUTH!"

Tears of pride brimmed from Gai's eyes at his student's statement. "Lee, I'm so proud of your youthful flames," he choked out before raising an arm to hide his tears.

"My team's mission was indeed successful, Maito-sensei." He went into a vague description of the events of the mission from beginning to end, careful of not to talk with them regarding his fight with Uchiha-san until it was just the three of them. Once he'd finished though, he joined the team in a light sparring session. Really, all he did was make a horde of Shadow Clones and everyone had to fight off multiple clones to train their abilities against multiple opponents. And with his stamina, that meant everyone fought at least thirty clones apiece. After an hour, the team broke for lunch, planning to meet later for an afternoon mission. Naruto stayed behind with Gai to talk, and by association, Lee as well. He mentioned his spar with the Uchiha, as well as the little test of his wind taijutsu. It was always a pleasure to have someone to go over fights with, he would do the same with the old man as well as with his sister, and he always came out of each conversation with new ideas. And each conversation with Gai always ended with the same words from Gai: "YOSH! HOW LUCKY FOR MY ETERNAL RIVAL TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO BURNS SO BRIGHTLY WITH THE FIRES OF YOUTH AS YOU DO, ON HIS TEAM!"

There were times when he wished that he was on Maito-sensei's team as well. Whereas Kakashi was tardy and more than a little negligent in the growth of his students, Gai Maito always strived to push all his students to their utmost, and at the same time showing an almost paternal attitude to the genin on his team. He considered them to be like a family, and he would sacrifice himself for them. That was one of the many reasons why Naruto respected him.

* * *

Stopping by Ichiraku's, he visited Teuchi and his daughter Ayame while having a small respite. The owner had been a shinobi in the past, part of the cook division. Even after years of inactivity though, Teuchi remained a solid figure of an old man. Ayame was different. Three years the young boy's senior, she had never been a ninja. She had warm brown eyes, and similarly, brown hair. She was different than most young women he'd met. She had an almost natural beauty about her. Sandaime-ojisan had once said it was the 'girl next door' kind of beauty. Not that he had understood then.

He couldn't come here as much as he wanted, for many reasons. If he were to come too often, then the customers that came would leave because of him, in spite of him. He cared too much about the two to do that to them. But he guessed the major reason was the change in diet over the years. When he'd been younger he would gorge on the noodle and broth concoction. Over time though, he'd changed his diet to something far more balanced at the request of Kyubi and the old man. Still, he stopped by for one or two meals a week, three times on rare occasions, and talked with them, mostly about little things.

Right now though, as he dug into a bowl of chicken and vegetable ramen, he listened to Ayame talk about how things had been since his team had left on their mission. "We missed ya, kid," came the grating voice of Teuchi from where he stood beside the boiling pot.

The stand mostly empty right after lunch, he was alone with the owners. Ayame leant against the counter, chin resting on her fingers as she listened to him about his mission, after minutes of attempting to pry the information out of him.

"Wow, that sounds amazing, Naruto-kun," she beamed happily.

Teuchi just smirked from where he stood. He always knew the kid had greatness in him.

"Thank you for the meal, Teuchi-ojisan, Ayame-san," he said before getting up from the stool, paying.

"Anytime, kid," was Teuchi's gruff response.

"Take care, Naruto-kun," said Ayame smiling back at him as he left.

* * *

Milling around, he was a ghost in the streets. He felt a little exposed without his Anbu-esque mask, but he was nothing if not adaptable. The cloth half mask was still relatively feasible. It had been a while since he'd not worn the full-facemask and a few people were noticing him, glaring at him. Not that he cared. He'd stopped caring a long time ago.

Sighing, he stopped walking. This had gone far enough. "Konohamaru-san, rocks are not square."

The box disguised as a rock that had been following him for the last thirty-four minutes exploded in a large cloud of smoke. There were multiple coughs from inside the smoke.

"You used too much gunpowder," spoke a childish female voice.

"Cough-Ahah! I knew a ninja as strong as you would figure out someone was tracking you!" cheered Konohamaru as he and two others appeared in the fading smoke.

Naruto didn't recognize the other two though. One was a little girl with orange hair bound into two pigtails, and had rosy coloring on her cheeks. The other was a boy who looked quite ill, if his runny nose was a sign. He also wore a thick pair of glasses over lazily open eyes. Combined with Konohamaru, they certainly were a motley crew.

"Hi! I'm Moegi, the sexiest kunoichi in the Land of Fire!" said the little girl, enthusiastically striking a pose.

The boy, somewhat less energetic, "And I'm…Udon, strategist," he said slowly.

"It is nice to meet you, friends to Konohamaru-san," Naruto answered politely.

The leader of the group bounded forward and latched onto the blonde's arm. "C'mon, Boss, play ninja with us!" Konohamaru pleaded.

Naruto wanted to say no. "Konohamaru-san, I can't I-"

"Pleeeeeaaase!"

His defenses crumbled. A part of him still remembered what it had been like when he'd played ninja…alone. He didn't want them to be denied the joys of their youth. So, sighing, he gave in. "…Very well, Konohamaru-san. What would you like to do?"

* * *

For an hour or so, he did mock missions with them. When that grew boring though he took them aside and treated them with an exercise in finding their chakra. It wasn't going to be taught in the academy for another year, but he taught it to them anyway. And it wasn't like the technique was dangerous. It was a simple exercise where they had to gather and mold chakra to make a leaf stick to their foreheads. They seemed a little annoyed that it wasn't some big fancy ninjutsu, but they still listened with rapt attention.

"What's it like being a ninja, Boss?" asked Konohamaru. They were all currently lying under a tree, watching clouds drift by.

"It is…complicated, Konohamaru-san. Like I mentioned to my teammates, it is not quite so simple as you versus the enemy. Any shinobi you meet is not necessarily your enemy."

"Their goals just conflict with your own," added Udon.

Naruto paused, looking over to the glasses wearing boy. "Yes, exactly. You will meet ninja that you will have to fight against that you honestly have nothing against or could even be friends with under other circumstances," he murmured, thinking back to Zabuza and Haku. He felt that this was a lesson many missed.

"Did you meet ninja like that on your mission, Boss?" asked Moegi.

"…Yes."

Konohamaru jumped excitedly to his feet. "I'm still gonna be the best ninja ever! And then…Hokage!" he roared, striking a heroic pose, fist raised to the sky.

"What's a trained ninja doing playing with children?" asked a familiar voice.

Kyubi groaned. "**The bitch is back**."

Approaching them, fists on her hips was Sakura Haruno, a disapproving look on her face.

"Good afternoon, Haruno-san," he greeted. "Konohamaru-san, Moegi-san, Udon-san, this is my teammate, Haruno Sakura-san."

The pink haired kunoichi stood over them, looking down on them. "Just what are you doing, mute-baka?" she asked, annoyed.

Konohamaru bounced in front of her in defense of his leader. "Boss is playing ninja with us!"

Sakura sweat dropped, "Dear Kami, what kind of ninja _plays_ ninja?" she asked sarcastically.

"Hey, Boss, is this girl your...you know?" he asked, waving his pinky finger. The pink-haired kunoichi wore a small blush but looked appalled at the idea.

"No, Konohamaru-san, Haruno-san and I are just teammates," he answered.

Konohamaru grinned, "Yeah, a ninja as good as you would never go for someone with such a freakishly large forehead-"

"Konohamaru-san"

"Or that flat-chested, either," the boy added.

Unlike the young trio, he was aware of the ever volatile kunoichi's temper, and she was about to reach her own critical mass. "Konohamaru-san," he insisted.

"Huh? Boss?"

"Run, Konohamaru-san," and he pointed to where his teammate was standing over the boy. Looking behind him, the boy eeped in fear before bolting away at speeds that would have made Gai proud of the boy, a pink-haired streak shooting after him yelling promises of pain. Moegi and Udon right behind in the hopes of sparing their leader's life from the evil banshee girl.

Climbing to his feet, he gave chase. Konohamaru-san really needed to be more aware of his surroundings. Where was Ebisu-san when the boy needed him?

* * *

Elsewhere:

A man in a trench coat, a large hat, and sunglasses sneezed loudly, dropping his book from the force. Walking to the register he paid for said book and walked out of the store anxiously. Once back on the street he sped around the corner and into the dark alley. Stripping off the coat and hat, Ebisu patted himself on the back. "Once more! My dark secret remains just that!" he cheered as he drooled at the sight of his latest purchase. The words Icha Icha stood out on a green background. He sneezed again. "I hope I'm not getting a cold. It wouldn't do to miss a day of teaching the honorable grandson."

* * *

Back With Naruto:

He saw Konohamaru shoot around the corner ahead. Thinking ahead, he jumped, clearing the fence in the direction where he expected Konohamaru. He could have easily gotten to the boy first, but wasn't ready to reveal his true speed. He fell through the air and landed lightly where he expected the boy to be. Problem was, there was no Konohamaru. Turning around, he saw why he'd over shot the boy. Konohamaru was being held by the throat by a ninja dressed in an odd, black cat-suit.

Taking it in stride, "Please put Konohamaru-san down, shinobi-san," he asked.

"B-Boss! Help!" Konohamaru choked out.

The shinobi turned to him and Naruto saw that beneath the makeup he wore, he wasn't much older than he was. His companion was a girl maybe a year older than himself. She had blonde hair done up in four pigtails. She was dressed in fairly light clothing and fishnet garments. Whereas the male of the group had a nondescript bundle on his back, she had a large battle fan. "Suna," he murmured, seeing their hitai-ates.

"Again, please put Konohamaru-san down," he repeated.

"Fat chance. This little punk ran into me. I think I'll break his face to teach him a lesson," said the male of the group with a smirk.

"You have been warned," he murmured icily to them, just loud enough for them, Sakura, and the two other kids to hear. "I'm sure the village's Anbu will be more than willing to explain to you the…penalty…for assaulting the grandson of the Hokage."

For a moment the pair looked uneasy. "You're bluffing," the guy said, though his tone showed worry.

Naruto smiled beneath his mask. "You are correct and incorrect. While the ANBU would indeed punish you, they are not needed. Isn't that right, Konohamaru-san?" he asked, looking down to the boy at his side.

The Suna nin blinked in surprise before looking back to his hand. The boy in his grasp went up in a cloud of smoke revealing a copy of the blonde. Said copy disappeared with a 'poof' a second later. Damnit, he'd tricked him.

"Are you alright, Konohamaru-san?" Naruto asked the boy at his side.

Konohamaru grinned, "Sure am, Boss! You really got to show me how you did-"

"Later, Konohamaru-san," Naruto answered. "In the meantime, you take Moegi-san and Udon-san and leave," he ordered.

Konohamaru saluted the blonde and ran across to Sakura and his friends before hightailing it out of there.

"It is not recommended that you do that again, Suna ninja-san," he said once the young trio had disappeared. "My teammates are less patient than I."

The boy snorted. "I only see one other person, and she looks weak to me."

"You have failed to notice my other teammate," the blonde answered. A second later a pebble bounced off the male Suna nin's head. Eyes rose to see Sasuke in the tree above them, casually juggling a few more pebbles.

"You Suna nin shouldn't start trouble in Konoha," he said arrogantly, crushing one of the remaining pebbles in his fist for emphasis. Opening his hand, a fine powder escaped. It wasn't a hard trick for someone with decent chakra control, but it still looked a little threatening.

Naruto continued. "And somehow, I don't think your other teammate approves of your actions either." Both shinobi paled, eyes shifting, looking for the last member of their group.

"…Temari…Kankuro…"

Once more, eyes shifted to the tree, but to the opposite side of Sasuke. Standing upside down on the limb was a rather disturbing looking redhead with a large gourd on his back.

Sasuke tensed. "_How did he… I never even sensed his presence!_" he thought worriedly.

The new Suna nin disappeared in a swirl of sand only to reappear in front of his teammates in a similar method. "…Stop embarrassing our village, Kankuro…" he rasped out, sending a dull glare at the other boy. Kankuro, as he'd been dubbed, was visibly shaking at the younger boy's stare.

"Ga-Gaara-" he tried to defend himself.

"Shut up. I apologize…for his stupidity," he offered to the Konoha genin.

"There is no need. It was a simple misunderstanding," Naruto answered back, not breaking eye contact.

Temari and Kankuro both began to sweat at the confrontation going on. Gaara seemed…interested…in this Konoha nin. And that was never a good thing as it always led to lots and lots of bloodshed.

Inside Naruto, Kyubi's eyes narrowed. "**That chakra… Well, well, well, if it isn't that little shit Shukaku**," she mused with a wide smile. Now things were getting interesting.

"_So that is what I've been sensing,_" thought a mentally grimacing Naruto. Two demon vessels in the village could lead to disaster. And the boy, Gaara, seemed far from stable.

"**Shukaku was a real nutbag**," Kyubi supplied. "**Did you think his vessel would be any different? That fucking tanuki's probably driven him near the brink of madness.**"

"What are you Suna nin doing in our village?" asked Sakura bravely, now that Sasuke was with them.

The blonde Suna nin brought out her passport. "We're here-"

"For the Chunin Exam, correct?" interrupted Naruto.

"Right."

"Very well. Welcome to Konoha. Please try not to get into any trouble," his eyes focusing mainly on Gaara. Answered only by silence, he gave a small bow and turned to walk away.

"Hold on," spoke up Sasuke, jumping down beside the retreating Naruto. "What's your name?"

"Who? Me?" asked the girl, face flushing with a tinge of red. In her eyes, both boys were very handsome, and she hoped they were asking for her name. The dark-haired teen was handsome, with flawless skin and a muscular body. The blonde, though he seemed very mature, held a feral nature to him. She could see a fire burning behind his eyes. And that mask covering the lower portion of his face…she wanted to see what was underneath it. Not to mention his ability to get the better of them earlier.

Hands in his pockets trying to look nonchalant, Sasuke corrected himself. "No, the freak with the gourd." Her face fell at his amendment.

The redhead glanced at Sasuke. He said nothing for several seconds before his raspy voice broke the tension. "Gaara…of the Sand. And who…are you?"

Giving his trademark 'I don't give a shit and you're lower than me' glare, Sasuke answered. "Uchiha…Sasuke Uchiha."

Inside Naruto, Kyubi was smacking herself against the bars of her cage at the display. "**Seriously, just kill him. Please? It won't take any effort at all and you'd be doing a service to the rest of the world**," she pleaded piteously. Just looking at the duck-assed hairdoed boy all she could think was "_**I wanna mawl…I wanna mawl!**_"

"_Sorry, neechan_," he apologized, warming a little at her childish attitude.

"And you?"

Naruto jerked out of his conversation with Kyubi. "Hmm?"

Gaara sent him a chilling glare at having been ignored. "I asked your name."

"…My brother and sister…"

"Temari," introduced the pigtailed blonde, blushing as she stepped forward.

"…" The catsuit wearing boy just scowled back at him, still angry over the blonde's seemingly effortless trick, embarrassing him.

Glaring at him, Temari jabbed him in the gut with her elbow. "Don't be rude," she growled under her breath.

Scowling still, "…Kankuro," he stated grudgingly. If looks could kill, the glare he sent the blonde could have reduced him to cinders.

Bowing his head to them, "Again, it's nice to meet you. I wish you luck in the exam." And without any more words, continued in his previous exit. "_These exams are sounding more and more troubling by the minute_." He would seriously like to ask whoever was in charge just why his life had to be so very…interesting.

* * *

In The Hokage's Office:

Leaning forward, the aged kage gazed contemplatively at the gathered Jonin over his steepled fingers. Here were some of his best Jonin, all with students that were considered the best of their generation. A second Ino-Shika-Cho trio, clan heirs and heiresses…and Naruto. Was it only coincidence that the Chunin Exams were being held here and now, right when these promising young genin had the chance to participate? Or was it some greater power trying to show them all that it was time for the younger generation to step in? Either way, these latest children of the Leaf were so very promising.

Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "Now then, we are gathered to discuss the upcoming Chunin Exams." There was muted muttering among the kneeling shinobi. "As most of you know, this year Konoha will be hosting the exams. I've asked you here to determine whether any of you believe your students to be ready for the exam. Will all Jonin with students step forward?"

Standing, four figures moved to the front of the assembly. Three men, and one woman.

Nodding at the Jonin, "Very well, please state your names, ranks, and whether or not you believe your students are ready for the exam."

Seeming barely able to contain himself, Gai stepped forward. "YOSH! HOKAGE-SAMA, I RECOMM-"

"Inside voice, Maito-san," interrupted Iruka chidingly.

Looking like a kicked puppy, Gai continued. "Hokage-sama, Team 9 consisting of Neji Hyuga, Tenten Higurashi, and Rock Lee under Gai Maito, Jonin rank, is recommended for the exam." It shocked all present to no extent that he had been able to say all that without mentioning anything about "youthfulness" or "flames".

A second figure stepped forward. "Asuma Sarutobi, Jonin of Team 10 consisting of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. I recommend my team for the exam."

Next was a stunningly beautiful woman with red pupils. "Hokage-sama. I, Kurenai Yuhi, Jonin leader of Team 8 recommend Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga for the Chunin Exam," suggested Kurenai.

Kakashi, ever the slacker, was the last to step up. For once his book remained in its pouch. Sighing at the task, "Jonin Kakashi Hatake, leader of Team 7. I recommend Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki for the Chunin Exam."

Face steadily growing redder and redder as time passed through the introductions, Iruka shot up out of his seat. "Impossible! They aren't ready for the exams!" There was no decorum, only his protective instinct as a teacher.

"Iruka!" shot the Hokage, the Chunin flinching at the commanding tone and at his own loss of control.

"With respect to Iruka," Kakashi spoke up and locked eyes with the Chunin. "They aren't your students anymore, they're my soldiers," and glared openly with the teacher.

From the front, Sarutobi watched the two shinobi duke it out in a contest of glares. He trusted the judgment of the Jonin senseis, and Iruka did tend to be very protective of his students, but there was merit to his claim. Most of the teams were comprised of fresh genin, barely in service for a half a year. Truthfully, he knew Naruto could handle the life and death parts of the exam, he was a survivor, and he would look after his teammates. There were few who knew how strong the boy was, and he was sure that even he himself had never seen all that he was capable of.

"That's enough!" he barked. "Iruka, I know you care for your students, but you must understand that the decision to put them into the exams rests solely on the Jonin sensei's shoulders."

Iruka, cowed, slumped down heavily into his seat. He could do nothing but worry over his former students.

"Now then, as to how the exam will be organized…"

* * *

Several Hours Later:

Sarutobi was contemplating the organization of the exam when the Chunin at the front desk entered. "Yes, what is it Kaito-kun?" he asked the young man.

"Hokage-sama, the Whirlpool teams are here."

Jaw clenching. "Send them in, Kaito-kun." So, it was finally time.

The chunin bowed before exiting, leaving the aged kage to wait apprehensively to face someone he'd never expected to see again. All too soon though, the door opened again, several young teens and two adults walking in. He immediately recognized the Whirlpool emblems they wore. His eyes settled immediately on one individual though.

In truth, she hadn't changed much at all. She still wore her blood red hair down to her mid back. And her sharp eyes seemed just as piercing as ever. Wearing the standard Jonin attire for most hidden villages was a ghost before him. Kushina Uzumaki…Naruto's mother. The woman smiled at him in unspoken greeting.

"Hokage-sama, Whirlpool teams reporting for the Chunin Exam," spoke the male Jonin in a clipped tone.

"Welcome to Konoha, honored shinobi of Whirlpool," Sarutobi responded politely. "Might I please ask that you introduce yourselves, and your genin?"

"Of course." The male Jonin cleared his throat before standing at attention. "Miro Gul, Jonin of Whirlpool. Sensei to Doru Sinek, Shipa Ono, and Hana Seppu." And in turn, as he introduced them, each of his genin stepped forward, bowing.

Doru, the only male on the team, was a seedy thin boy with a sleepy expression on his face visible from underneath his bushy green hair. He wore a light jacket with shorts and bandages on his legs.

Shipa was a white-haired girl a year or so younger than the others, and was dressed in a manner reminiscent of ANBU Black Ops. Her eyes, a blazing green shone with reserved intelligence.

The last of the trio, Hana, stood at 5' 10", easily taller than her teammates by several inches. She had black hair and a vicious smile that made the kage think of Anko. At her waist she had a pair of ninjato on her right.

Stepping forward, smile still present on her lips, Kushina gave a mock salute. "Kushina Uzumaki, Special Jonin of Whirlpool and sensei to Shikaro Uzumaki, Kane Uzumaki, and Goza Mire."

Sarutobi blinked. Uzumaki? Looking at them though, he immediately knew they weren't her children. There was absolutely nothing of Kushina in them. They had to be of her relatives then.

Shikaro had flat black hair that was held back by his bandana-like hitai-ate. Green eyes gleamed, and Sarutobi knew that he was skilled with the long katana on his back, as most Uzumaki were famous for using.

Kane, the only female of her team, instantly reminded him of a young kunoichi that his successor had trained. She looked so much like Rin, even having the same hair, only she was missing the facial markings that all Inuzuka had. She seemed a little more reserved than her teammate, as she bowed politely to the kage. He recognized her immediately as a weapon specialist by the storage scrolls and multiple weapon pouches on her person.

Goza, the odd-man-out of his group was obviously a taijutsu user. Wearing baggy pants wrapped at the ankle, he only wore a vest on top, well-developed muscles visible. His brown hair was held back in a pony tail so to be kept out of his beetle-like black eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. The exams will take place three days from now. Your Jonin instructors will be given the details. For now, please settle in and take in the sights." All nodding in thanks, the Whirlpool ninja shuffled out, with exception to Kushina who stayed behind.

"Kushina-"

She just smiled broadly back at him. "It's good to see you again, Sarutobi."

"Kushina…Where have you been? You were reported dead from birthing complications."

Kushina actually tilted her head in confusion. She wasn't dead. "I just had to leave, Sarutobi-ojisama. After that horrible night, I couldn't stand to be here."

"But what about your son?"

"Naruto-kun? If he'd lived, I might have stayed, Sarutobi. But things didn't work out that way," her voice thick with remorse.

The old man's eyes widened at her response. Inwardly, questions and mysteries were being organized and answered, if only in bits and pieces. Yet still, confusion remained.

"But Kushina, Naruto's-"

"Hokage-sama!" An ANBU appeared kneeling before the Hokage.

"Yes, what is it, Hare?" he asked, exasperated.

"Council member Danzo wishes to speak with you."

Sarutobi's jaw clenched. Talk about bad timing. "I'm busy at the moment. Tell the council-member that I am in a meeting and will talk to him when I am done," he all but growled.

The ANBU made no sign of leaving. "I'm afraid it's an emergency, lord Hokage."

"When I am finished here!" Sarutobi spat, only for Kushina to hold up her hands in a 'cease fire'.

"It's okay, Sarutobi-oji. We can talk later," she said with a smile, and before he could even protest, she had left.

If looks could kill… Well, let's all just agree that the Tsukuyomi had nothing on the effect of the glare that the kage was sending the masked shinobi. Face drawn into something akin to a snarl, he stormed out of the room to where he knew Danzo would be waiting for him. Once he'd left, the prostrate shinobi was finally able to sense that somewhere along the line he'd shit himself.

* * *

The doors slammed open to the council room.

"WHAT?" Sarutobi growled, a step down from the roar that had tried to make its way past his lips.

"Calm yourself, Sarutobi-sama," chastised a frowning Koharu from where she sat next to her fellow advisor, Homura. They, unlike the poor ANBU they'd sent, were more seasoned towards his killing intent and refrained from shitting themselves.

"I was in the middle of a very important matter," he ground out.

"Talking to the Uzumaki," finished Danzo, earning a glare from the kage for his less than permitted information gathering. The bandaged warmonger gazed steadily at the old man, his rival in so many ways. "When I was informed that Kushina Uzumaki had entered the village, I felt it best to inform you of a piece of information that I had gathered, information that could have dire importance in your conversation with the Uzumaki."

Sarutobi's eyes were narrowed. His anger had boiled down to a wary, on edge, feeling of annoyance. "And what 'information' would that be?"

"I have come into some unfortunate information," Danzo sighed in what everyone knew to be a faux sad voice. "It would seem that there was a deception on the night of the jinchuriki's birth by a member of the village in attempts to remove Kushina Uzumaki from the village. It is the unfortunate case that a member of the Haruno clan did so in order to separate her from the Yondaime, hoping for a relationship. She had no idea that he would die that night. Through interrogation, we gleaned that the traitor informed her that her son had died, and the same for the Yondaime after sealing the Kyubi in an orphan. How…tragic."

The Sandaime's visage fell at the ruse that had gone on for so many years. While he thought about it though, he internally mused about how Danzo seemed to have this information right when it was needed. "And the Haruno?"

"Summarily executed for subterfuge against the late Yondaime and his family," Danzo answered back boredly.

Sarutobi nodded. "Understood, though I would have liked to have questioned her." He had a suspicion. Danzo would never have been able to get within a mile of Naruto with Kushina around without losing what little life he had left. With her gone though, the boy was all but at his mercy. He himself had been the only barrier left between the warhawk and a child with latent unlimited power. "_You've covered your tracks well, Danzo, but we'll see how this game plays out. There are still two pieces left to stop you. Naruto himself, and quite possibly Kushina, too_."

Leaving the chamber and the three others to their disputing, Danzo smirked to himself. With Kushina in Konoha, there would undoubtedly be a meeting between estranged mother and son. And he would be there to pick up the pieces, rebuilding the boy as one of his soldiers.

* * *

Staring at the application in hand, he remained rooted at the bridge, waiting for his teammates. The last few days he'd been going over a new jutsu idea. He wanted to iron out some of the details before presenting the rough idea to the old man.

Not to say that nothing else happened. Somehow, Umino-sensei from the academy had managed to get the permission of the Hokage to "test" the genin to see if they were ready for the exams. After finding out that the attacker was actually the school teacher, he felt a little embarrassed for nearly breaking his arm. He had spent the afternoon apologizing.

"Uchiha-san…Haruno-san. Are you ready?" Lifting his head, he gazed at the approaching members of Team 7.

"Hn, of course," answered the Uchiha, sneering. "Let's go."

* * *

They passed other Chunin hopefuls as they ascended through the academy building. The only downside to the trip was Sasuke's dropping of the ball. How was it he couldn't see that the genjutsu was there to weed out the weaker genin. And it all led up to a mess. Specifically, the presence of Rock Lee that Naruto could sense following them as they entered a small training room.

"SASUKE UCHIHA!" was shouted to them before they left the chamber. Sakura and Sasuke turned to see who it was that called to him. Naruto just shook his head. Lee was just too darn much.

"It is polite to introduce oneself first, correct?" asked the green clad taijutsu user from the balcony.

Sasuke smirked. "So you know."

"I am the Blue Beast of Konoha, Rock Lee!" he introduced proudly. "I wish to challenge you, Sasuke Uchiha! I desire to pit my hard work against your genius!"

* * *

"I could have told you that you would have lost," he lectured.

Sasuke, beaten like a fresh academy student, just glared at the blonde. Though inwardly he was…excited…at the thought of facing more powerful opponents. That green covered freak was weird, but strong, and there were undoubtedly others just as strong…even if none would be as strong as him.

Turning another corner they came upon Kakashi leaning against the wall in front of a pair of large doors. Lone eye lazily creeping up from his book, "Oh, so you decided to go for it? Good."

"Sensei? What are you doing here?" asked Sakura.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I just wanted to see if you would decide to take the exam or not."

"Of course we are," answered Sasuke for them all, his tone overflowing with confidence…or arrogance.

"Well it's good to see you're all so confident. Just so you know, had you not all shown up, none of you would have been able to enter the exam," he added matter-of-factly.

Sakura's eyes were wide in response and Sasuke, though he hid it well, tensed. Already knowing, Naruto hadn't any reason to feel emotional.

"Come on, let's go," Sasuke urged, eager to see what strong opponents he would face and defeat. His stepping stones. The double doors opened, and Team 7 passed through, ready to face their destinies.

"_Now where was I?_" wondered Kakashi as he paged through his book to find the spot he'd stopped at. "Ah! Here we are. Oh, Miko, you naughty girl…" Thus the giggling sensei strolled off at a casual pace to the Jonin lounge to meet up with the other Jonin senseis.


	10. When Snakes Drag You To Hell

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did,

as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

_**Hello**_/Demon or Summon Thought

AN: I know, I know. You hate my guts for being late. But I took a break and just started reading fanfics again instead of writing. I'm not stopping my writing, but in that time I've had about a dozen ideas for fanfics, even though I doubt many will even make it to paper.

Chapter 10

"There…There're so many," Sakura murmured in awe at the shinobi that packed the room.

Not even looking to the pinkette, "Genin from all the major shinobi villages are sent here, Haruno-san. Not counting the few teams from some of the smaller villages, there were bound to be quite a few teams," he explained, examining the gathered shinobi. "Though, as we are the hosting village, it is assured our numbers will be higher."

"See anyone interesting?" asked Sasuke. He disliked that his blonde teammate kept displaying such advanced knowledge, but he trusted his analyzing skills.

"I will tell you in a minute, though first I would recommend that you move three steps to the left…"

More than a little confused, the Uchiha grudgingly complied…and only just barely in time as a purple clad blonde dove past him, landing on her front on the floor. Sasuke paled. If he hadn't moved…

"SASUKE-KUN!" cried Ino happily, jumping up from the floor, apparently unharmed.

He shuddered uncontrollably. Ino Yamanaka, one of his more devoted fangirls.

"Troublesome. So you guys are here, too?"

Turning, Naruto gave a small bow. "Shikamaru-san…Choji-san," he greeted.

"Hey! Looks like we're all here!" and from the side came the other rookie team, Team 8, announced by Kiba Inuzuka.

The Inu nin smirked toothily down at the others. "Oh, so the losers are here, too. Wait, where's the silence of the blondes?"

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata chastised, sending intermittent glances at the quiet blonde shinobi.

"I am here, Inuzuka-san," Naruto replied. "And I know you remember my name. So please refrain from the poor attempts at jokes." He turned to the Inuzuka's teammates once more. "I hear that castration has a profound effect on the behavior of dogs." Several of the other rookies sniggered at the comment. Hinata managed to hold it in, but her face bloomed into a blush. Kiba was horrorstruck, hands moving to shield 'Little Kiba' out of instinct. The scary part? Shino looked thoughtfully at Kiba.

The gathered Konoha rookies, sans Sasuke and Sakura, looked at Naruto in mild shock. Other than Hinata, they had never seen the face beneath his mask. The female genin were stunned by the beautiful blue eyes that shone from beneath his blonde locks. Seeing his face, if only the upper half, made his hair seem so much more fitting.

Ignoring the semi-masked blonde, Kiba sauntered over to Sasuke. "Hope you came ready to lose, Uchiha!" he boasted.

Naruto turned away from the argument. Pissing contests never really interested him. Instead he looked to the remaining members of Team 8. "Shino-san…Hinata-san."

"Naruto-san."

"N-Naruto-kun."

Beneath his mask the blonde actually wore a small smile, though he was not aware of it himself. "It is good to see you all in good health."

"Indeed," Shino agreed solemnly, ever just as silently stoic as the blonde himself.

Hinata blushed at the statement, the red tinge forcing her to look away lest she become further embarrassed.

"If you guys are here too, it just means that this exam is going to be even more troublesome than I thought," muttered Shikamaru from the side. He knew that this was not the place for a guy like him; a guy who wanted an average shinobi career. Realistically though, he knew that Naruto would be in the exams. The blonde was intelligent, far more so than what he showed, just like himself. Then there was the fact that the Uchiha would of course be in the exams. The village council would want him in the exams to keep up the image of the Uchiha being a Konoha clan…even if there was only one left.

Hinata stiffened as she saw Ino passing glances over Naruto. Her eyes narrowed. Not going to fucking happen. She was about to step in when a new voice rose up.

"Will you guys quiet down?! If you haven't figured it out yet, you rookies aren't well liked here."

The rookie Konoha nin turned to see a fairly tall teenage Konoha nin with silver hair and glasses walking over to them.

"Oh yeah? And just who in Hell are you?" Kiba asked, eying the older teen cautiously.

The teen smiled widely before running a hand over his bound silver hair. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "The name's Kabuto Yakushi," he introduced with a small wave. "Anyway, I just wanted to warn you."

"Warn us?" asked Shikamaru lazily from the back of the group.

"Yeah, what's that s'posed to mean?" Kiba joined in.

Kabuto smirked, "It means that you guys, as rookies, aren't thought of too highly by us veterans." Indeed, now that they looked around more carefully they noticed the glares and leaked killer intent, even from shinobi of their own village. "For some of us who've taken this test more than once, seeing rookies in the exam is a bit of a snub."

"Then why are you over here?" asked Ino. "How many times have you taken the exam?"

Kabuto actually expressed a great deal of embarrassment at that question. "A-Actually, this is my seventh time."

From the side, Naruto's alarms were going off. At first, he'd wondered if he was an inserted spy via Ibiki who he had heard would be proctoring this time around, but this guy… There was something off about him. Something that set him on edge.

"Well, I remember how it was for me my first time taking the exams, so I can't help feeling like giving you fresh kids a few tips."

"Tips?" asked Sasuke, eager for some possible information on his opponents.

"Yeah," Kabuto affirmed, hand digging around in his supply pouch. A second later he pulled out a battered deck of cards. "These are info cards I've been making since the first time I took the exam. From then on I collected every scrap and detail I could. Information is power after all. All I have to do is add a little chakra and…voila," he showed a card that was blank before a map of the village appeared.

The Uchiha's eyes lit up in concealed glee. "Do you have cards on individual people?"

Kabuto shrugged before nodding. "Sure, who do you want? I should have most of the people in the exam."

"Gaara of the Sand, Rock Lee of Konoha, and Naruto Uzumaki, also of Konoha," the ambitious genin requested, sending a glance at the blonde.

Naruto simply reflected mild interest in his direction. He was somewhat interested to find out just how much information the guy had on him.

"**Be careful around him**," Kyubi suggested. She too could sense that there was something off about this boy.

"You know their names? That's no fun, but…" The older genin shuffled through his cards until he found the proper ones, though how no one else could figure since they all looked blank. "Alright. First, Gaara of the Sand. Strange…all stats are blank. All I have is his mission history. 13 D rank, 18 C rank, 14 B rank, and…9 A rank, and he's only been a genin for six months." Many of the rookies were all wide-eyed, many of them sneaking glances at the Suna nin in question. Kabuto wasn't finished though. "A note of interest… On every mission, he has never returned with a scratch on him. He's never been touched by his enemies."

The smarter genin were actually feeling a little apprehensive, though Sasuke just felt an increasing eagerness to fight such a strong person.

"Next," Kabuto pulled out his second card. "Rock Lee. Konoha shinobi. Excels in taijutsu at a high level, but his ninjutsu and genjutsu are nonexistent, strange. He is on a team with Tenten Higurashi and Neji Hyuga, under Jonin Gai Maito. Mission history is pretty average for a near two year old team… 74 D rank, 15 C rank, and 7 B rank missions. Their pretty well rounded," he noted.

Everyone waited on bated breath for the next, and last, card. Naruto's card.

Time seemed to stand still as the nondescript card was brought to everyone's attention. "Here we are, Naruto Uzumaki… What?"

"What is it?" Sasuke growled apprehensively. He needed to know what was on that card.

Kabuto blinked, clueless. "Everything is here except known jutsus and background information. All it says is he's an orphan. The rest is listed as 'Not Available', odd." He sent an appraising glance at the blonde. "Just who are you?"

"…"

With a shake of his head, Kabuto turned back to the card in his hand. "Anyway, his stats show high ninjutsu skills, above average taijutsu, and low genjutsu. A side note, his chakra levels are at a level no genin should ever be at. His teammates are Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, under Jonin Kakashi Hatake, the noted Copynin. Mission history: 54 D rank, 1 C rank, and an A rank, not bad for a green rookie."

Sasuke grimaced. Damnit! That had been another dead end. Ever since Kakashi had warned him that the blonde was stronger than he looked, that he knew a few unique jutsus, that he should be ready for them… He had watched ever so closely.

"Is there anything else you can tell us, Kabuto?" asked Sakura, worried about the fierce competition in the exam.

"Okay, listen. The Chunin Exam is a way for villages to flex their muscles to others without leading to all the nasty side-effects of war, like death." He pulled out a new card, and a second later displayed the shinobi nations. "This is a map of the shinobi countries, and on the right is a graph showing how many competing teams are here from that village. As you can see, as Leaf shinobi, we're in the majority. There're a few new entries this time though. The new village…Oto. No one is really sure about them as they are so new, but there are still a few teams from there. Then there's two teams from Whirlpool. Haven't seen them for several years now. You know them?" he asked, looking at Naruto.

"I don't, no," the blonde answered. He had heard a little of Whirlpool. His mother had been from there, and it was a place located on the borders of the Land of Mist. Many believed it to be little more than a province of Mist, but it considered itself to be separate from it. However, it did fall under the jurisdiction of the Mizukage. It was a small country, but that did not mean it was weak. Still, he would be interested to meet the Whirlpool teams.

"I was just going to ask 'cause your name is Uzumaki. There are a few Uzumaki on the Whirlpool teams."

The world felt like it had been ripped from under his very feet. "What?"

"Oh, Kami, there are more of him?" Kiba asked dramatically, horrified.

Retaining enough of his wits to glare at the inu nin, "I assure you, Inuzuka-san, I am one of a kind."

"Then you aren't related to them?" asked Ino, gathering more gossip. The other rookies listening in as well.

The blonde shrugged. "There is no way of knowing. I am an orphan, as you all well know. To my knowledge, I was given the name Uzumaki when I was found following the Kyubi attack." Okay, so it was a lie, a small one. He honestly had no idea if he was related to the Uzumaki of Whirlpool, but now was not the time to find out.

Through the crowd, a team from Oto who had been listening swayed past everyone in their path, heading for the one who had so carelessly made slighting remarks towards their village. It was over before it even began as Kabuto was brought to his knees by some invisible attack. The only ones capable of noticing were Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, and Naruto. All of whom were more sensitive to the lower frequency noise than the others. The Inuzuka, his partner, and Naruto all flinched at the sound.

"Wanna talk about our village again? The Village Hidden in Sound is stronger than you can imagine," growled the bandaged member of the trio.

"ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL UP!"

All attention went to the individual who had just roared over the crowd. "Oto nin, stop that shit if you want to continue in the exam," growled the bear of a man, flanked by a small squad of Chunin subordinates. With a quick look over the crowd, he shook his head in disappointment. "Alright, come on you punks." He ushered them through the newly opened doors.

As he passed by, the blonde tilted his head to the head of the Torture and Interrogation department. "Ibiki," he acknowledged.

"Uzumaki," the stern figure greeted firmly.

Nearby, the Whirlpool team had been close enough to hear the whispered words. "He called blondie over there 'Uzumaki'. He a relative of yours, Kane? Shikaro?" asked Shipa, the two Whirlpool teams staying close together. The boy and younger girl both shook their heads, staring intently at the blonde in question.

"Never heard of him," muttered Shikaro. "Shipa, can you get a read on him?"

The white-haired girl looked pensive, but nodded apprehensively before closing her eyes. To everyone else, she looked like she was resting her eyes, but in reality she was reaching out with her senses, feeling around the different chakra signatures around her. It was a skill learned in her family, very similar to how the Yamanaka worked. She found instantly felt the chaotic, overwhelming chakras of the Suna nin and nearly cried out at the bloodlust it radiated. But he wasn't her target. She pushed forward further to where she knew the blonde to be. If the suna nin was powerful, this guy was in a class far beyond him. He radiated raw power, though she could feel that more was still hidden, suppressed. She bolted straight into consciousness, nearly jumping. Wiping her brow, she found a fine sheen of sweat.

"What'd you find?" asked Doru, not liking the reaction she was having.

"That Suna nin, his chakra…it's crazy…I mean psychotic."

"Sure, sure, but what about blondie?" asked Hana eagerly.

Shipa looked at the blonde once more, reevaluating him. "He's strong. I've never seen someone with so much chakra who wasn't a kage."

"A plant?" Shikaro theorized.

"I…don't know," she answered, confused. "His chakra is massive, but his control…is below Chunin. It's barely above genin."

"We should tell our senseis," Shipa said with a tone of finality. All the Whirlpool genin nodded in agreement.

What most had failed to notice was the team of Iwa genin, all with avid stares at the cryptic blonde Konoha genin. And they were not happy looks. More like confused with a touch of 'I want to force feed you to a blender'.

As attentive as Naruto was, he would later become very annoyed at himself for not noticing them.

"**I wonder what he's gonna do to break the squirts?"** Kyubi wondered to herself, but still loud enough for her little brother to hear.

"_I wonder that myself_." Ibiki was smart. Nara smart. Except he wasn't lazy. It had been interesting meeting him all through his childhood. Sure, it was always after someone tried to kill him… Still, he had talks with him on occasion. Nothing serious, just needing an objective opinion about something. It was through Ibiki that Naruto had learned the most about Danzo. His views had been far less corrupted by personal experience than the Sandaime's had been.

He had to give it to Ibiki. The test was simple, yet with enough trickery to trip up most any genin. It wasn't about what you knew before the test. Not really. It was about what you could learn during the test, and be able to get away with. The room was rigged, too. The temperature was a little higher than normal; just enough to be uncomfortable. And the seats…the angle was wrong, leaving you in a leaning crouch as you had to stop yourself from sliding forward, and off. Truly, the bald interrogator had outdone himself.

He had been a little surprised to see Hinata was sitting right next to him, but initial shock had faded into a relaxed demeanor. At first, he'd been a little worried for her. Odd, why should he? But still, it wasn't until she'd activated her doujutsu that he felt reassured that she understood the test.

Kyubi had wanted to screw with the other test takers with a little innocuous killing intent, but he had rejected the idea as the scarred Jonin might have disapproved. Key word being 'might', she argued. And it was true, Ibiki might have appreciated him thinning the proverbial herd.

"Okay, gaki's, listen up! It's time for the tenth question!" the man barked.

Glancing at the clock, he noticed that the forty minute grace period was over.

"Here's the way it works, kiddies. You have the choice of either taking the final question, or not. The choice is yours." Confused mumbles floated through the small sea of Chunin hopefuls. "The tenth question, if wrong, eliminates you from the test and you will never be allowed to take it again." The murmurs burst into flurried speaking.

"Then why the Hell should we even take the question?!" asked the blonde Suna kunoichi in disbelief. Many of the other genin mumbled in agreement, though they weren't brave enough to shout it out as she had.

Ibiki smirked. The majority of assembled genin shuddered fearfully at the expression. "Because, Suna nin, if you choose to skip the question…you automatically fail, but at least you'll be able top take the exam again." The room went deathly silent. There was no misinterpretation, his tone the paradigm of seriousness.

To his right, Hinata shook a little, distress beginning to get the better of her. Out of some bizarre instinct, his hand crept over and covered hers. She nearly flinched in surprise. The fair skin heated up seconds later. He was in the process of looking her in the eye when peripheral movement caught his attention. The source, a pink shape. He immediately shifted his focus. Sakura. She was shaking like a leaf under the Jonin's hard glare. More importantly, her hand was beginning to rise. She was going to quit! And if she failed, the entire team failed. The underlying point being that the Uchiha would never stop grousing about it.

"**For the love of Kami, stop her!**" Kyubi practically shrieked, frantic. "**He's emo enough as it is!**"

In a rare moment of outspokenness, "Nice poker face, Ibiki-san," the blonde scoffed. Sakura's hand shot down in surprise. All around him, genin stared at him like he was suicidal. Ibiki's glare refocused on him now, but he had had worse.

"What's that, kid?" he growled.

"The Chunin Exam is hosted in a rotating pattern among the villages. Do you plan to dictate how the other villages proctor their exams as well?" He really hoped the man didn't hold this against him.

Ibiki had felt rather proud of himself as the genin had started dropping like flies with his proposed dilemma of the tenth question. And then the shit had to hit the fan. Damn that blonde. With his words, relatively few, the entire atmosphere of the room had changed. He had swept away all the doubt and fear in its entirety. There goes his clean sweep. Growling under his breath, "Alright then, those of you that are left, you pass," he admitted grudgingly.

"…WHAT!?"

Ibiki leaned back against his desk. "There never was a tenth question."

"Then what the Hell was-"

Ibiki brought the comment to a halt with a frigid glance. "The point was in choosing to take the question. Chunin often have to take missions that they know are risky, at best, knowing that they will most likely fail," unraveling his bandanna as he talked until it fell away, revealing scarred, pitted flesh. "It's the kind of choice that all Chunin have to make. The responsibility of a Chunin," he finished and started retying the cloth. "The last question was meant to weed out the ones who didn't have the strength of conviction to stay in-" Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a horrific crash as a lump of dark cloth shot through the window in a shattering of glass. The lumpy projectile unraveled almost immediately into a banner, kunai shooting out from the ends to sink into the ceiling and floor.

Besides the confused and awed silence, the only sound filling the room was the repetitive thumping noise of an enigmatic blonde braining himself against his desk.

"HELLOOOOO, IMPRESSIONABLE GENIN!" cheered a jubilant voice. As the cloth had unfolded, it was revealed that besides the writing on its interior, there was also a woman. More noticeably, to those possessing the Y chromosome, she was wearing a trench coat with practically nothing else underneath, just some fishnet and a skirt. And she filled it all out…very well. She practically oozed seduction.

Hinata was a little freaked as this was the most animated she'd seen the blonde in some time. Did he know who she was? She and her team did as she came to visit her sensei often during their training.

The banner behind her read as follows: THE SEXY AND SINGLE ANKO MITARAISHI HAS ARRIVED!" with "And, yes, I am double jointed!" following in smaller font.

"Come on, that was a ten! A nine at the least!" she crowed to no one in particular, obscenely proud of herself. A sharp cough alerted her to her surroundings.

"You're early," Ibiki ground out, poking his scarred face from behind the massive banner.

Her head tilted like a confused child. "Huh?" Turning, she took stock of all the genin.

Naruto groaned internally. He had nothing against Anko Mitaraishi. She was a skilled Jonin, and, if you looked beyond her sadistic façade, she was also an individual of great worth. He respected her for her ability to hold it together, even though she, like himself, was not regarded well by the village. It was just…she wearied him so.

"You let 86 punks move on?" Anko asked before grinning. "You're not getting old on me, are you?" she heckled the scowling man.

"There's a good bunch this time around," he answered simply.

"Alright! Here we are, kiddies and potential corpses…Area 44, my favorite stomping grounds, so quaintly named 'The Forest of Death'," she cooed evilly. Many of the genin, while not immediately affected by the view of the forest behind the massive fence and locked, felt shivers of worry from the sadistic giddiness of the proctor. Internally, Naruto wasn't impressed. He had long ago learned of the Forest of Death. It was actually a nice place, provided one knew how to stay alive while in there, as he could. It was actually a good location for him to train his senses, what with the limited amount of people who went in. Like Anko though, he was one of the few people who had a decent enough experience with the place to actually appreciate it.

Evil grin firmly affixed, "But before we start, you gotta sign these." And from her coat, rummaging around for a second earning wide eyes from many males and even a few females, she produced a stack of forms.

"What're those?" asked an Iwa genin from the side, as the papers were passed out.

Anko chuckled, "Those? They're release forms. They state that we're not responsible for any of you brats that die."

"So we can kill the competition?" a Mist nin piped up gleefully. A ripple of both anxious and worried looks passed through the assembled genin.

"Yes. Sounds fun, doesn't it?" she agreed, grinning madly.

Naruto sighed. Anko was just so…

"**Brazen? Impetuous? Homicidal?**" Kyubi offered. She knew that he respected the woman. In fact, it could be said that the two social outcasts knew each other far better than any others. That is, not counting how well Hinata knew Naruto. "_**Oh, and of course, a tease**_," she added to herself.

Forms all signed, and collected by a Chunin, she went on. "Okay, listen up runts. Each team will get a scroll. The point of this stage of the exam is to collect both, a Heaven and an Earth scroll, and make it to the tower in the center of the forest before three days are up."

"Three whole days?!" Chouji choked out. "But…what'll we do for food?" Already his stomach was growling at the prospect of going light for several days.

Anko snorted derisively. "The forest's full of things you can eat. Provided they don't eat you first." Chouji paled and looked about ready to faint. "Enter the forest…and you enter the food chain."

Slowly, each team passed by Anko and her Chunin assistant, receiving their scroll and being directed to a gate. The booth where they got the scrolls was surrounded by an opaque barrier blocking anyone from seeing which teams got what scroll. Therefore making it more difficult to track down the needed counterpart to their own scroll.

When it was their own turn, Naruto walked slowly behind his teammates as they entered the tent. "Well, well, well! Nobody told me you were in the exam," Anko cooed before walking over and draping herself over the blonde. To her credit, a light tinge of red appeared on his cheeks, but luckily it was covered by his mask. "You gonna show them what you're made of, Naruto-kuuuuuuun?" she asked sweetly.

"Please don't do that, Anko-san," he groaned. She was such a button pusher.

"You're legal now, right?" she purred. He groaned tiredly.

An hour later, Team 7 was moving through the forest. The emo avenger had asserted himself as the de facto leader of their party and was practically giddy at the challenge set before them. He'd taken it upon himself to guard the scroll they had received. A Heaven scroll, to be precise.

Sasuke was marching along like he was trying to attract attention, which he actually was. He wanted to fight. Sakura seemed a little more jittery, her eyes darting around the forest at every little sound, and often screeching at him for being the one that would get them all killed. He refrained from reminding her that her odiferous perfume might get them killed far sooner.

"**I hope someone kills that bitch,**" Kyubi grumbled sourly. She hated the pink-haired harlot with a vengeance.

Naruto was a little more apprehensive than the pair. And justifiably so.

-Flashback-

They were in the Sandaime's private study, a place he'd often visited in times of confusion when he'd ask the aging kage for helpful advice regarding a project. It was a haven for the mind. "Naruto-kun, I want you to restrict yourself during the exams."

"Restrict? How so?"

"I would ask that you not use any techniques above class C, unless your opponent does so."

-Flashback End-

Not that he wasn't confident in his abilities, but from an overall standpoint, that was a huge chunk of his jutsus that he wasn't allowed to use. He excelled in high level ninjutsu. If he were limited to C rank and below, that only left a handful. Though it would mean a greater challenge for him, needing him to be more creative with how he used his techniques.

A concession the aged leader had made was that he could continue to use Shadow Clones, as they had become so natural with him.

Once they had cleared enough ground, Sasuke motioned for them to drop to the ground.

"Alright, we should set up a system so we can tell who's who in case we're split up," the prone to scowling boy suggested, that is if suggesting took on a tone of 'do what I say'. Either way, Naruto could find no fault with the plan, and Sakura was more than willing to do anything the avenger thought up.

"A code word. Brilliant, Sasuke-kun!" the pinkette mollified. Naruto refrained from rolling his eyes. "Now that that's settled, I'll be right back," he said, and headed for the brush.

Sasuke frowned. "Where're you going?"

"Bathroom," the blonde said simply enough. Sakura shrieked after him that he should have gone before the test, but he had already tuned her out.

A decent amount of foliage between him and his team, he focused again on the signatures that had been following them for the last ten or so minutes. Signatures that were now surrounding him. Perfect. Less than a minute later, he was rewarded by a trio of his clones falling from above; each with a Mist genin knocked out and carried over their shoulders.

"Any trouble?" he asked.

"No, but the short one's a biter," a clone growled, dropping his bundle unceremoniously on the ground.

"Secure them to the tree," he ordered. Their jobs done, the shadow clones dissipated. Rummaging through the pockets of the incapacitated shinobi, he took stock of the spoils. Another Heaven scroll. Too bad. Still, he gained a few dozen shuriken and a thick stack of explosive notes. Not much else was of note. He was tempted by the poisoned senbon, but he didn't feel like carrying around something that he didn't have an antidote to, as there was no knowing what they were coated with. So, leaving them behind, he walked back to where his teammates should still be waiting.

He was maybe a few hundred yards away, when the hairs on the back of his neck rose from a bad feeling he was getting. Without any warning, the wind picked up from a slight breeze to gale force in a second. Trying to stick to the ground, his feet dug a trench before he was lifted and thrown backwards. His thoughts of escape ended after he hit the second tree, rendering him unconscious. Kyubi called out to him as his mind faded into the black, but he was too far gone to make sense of it. "**Otouto! Na…Narut…ruto…..**"

With Team 7:

The remaining two members of Team 7 were waiting for their blonde teammate with a growing sense of annoyance. "_Where is that baka?!_" Sakura ranted. "_We'll never get out of this freaky forest if he doesn't hurry!_"

Sounds of movement in the brush garnered both genin's attentions, and they tensed. It could be Naruto, or… Both were relieved when a familiar blonde cleared the shrubbery. "Took you long enough," Sasuke growled.

The blonde's eyes crinkled as he smiled behind his cloth mask. "Heh, sorry about tha-WHAT THE HELL!"

Sasuke and Sakura had been willing to accept this was Naruto, when the unthinkable happened. The blonde…smiled…and chuckled. Sasuke went rigid, while Sakura looked gob smacked. Just the first was enough to freak them out, hence their reactions, but the second… Hardly a second later, they were both lobbing shuriken and kunai at the imposter.

Once the fake was far enough away, they stopped and held their weapons ready. "What was that for?" the blonde asked innocently, even sounding hurt.

The Uchiha grit his teeth angrily. "You're not Naruto. Naruto doesn't smile."

"And he sure as Hell doesn't laugh," Sakura added.

The fake Naruto stood straighter, a smile growing visibly beneath his mask into a smirk, something that looked downright revolting on the face of their teammate. "Oh, you're better than I thought," he chuckled darkly, and his body was surrounded by a thin veil of smoke as he released his transformation. In his place was a Grass nin, one of the ones from the exam.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. "And where's our teammate?"

"Him? I sent him away. After all, he doesn't have what I'm after." Reaching behind her, into the small hip pouch hidden in her tunic, she withdrew a scroll with green edging. "See this? An Earth scroll. You'd like to get your hands on this, wouldn't you?" Something was wrong with the young woman, though they couldn't figure out what it was. Something just screamed that she was…wrong. Seeing the young Uchiha's eyes linger on the scroll, her smirk grew wider. To their joint horror and shock, her tongue extended out from her mouth, wrapping around the scroll. Lifting it from her hand with the slimy appendage, it was pulled back into her mouth, and Team 7, such as they were, watched in discomfort as the scroll went into her mouth and slid down her throat. She smiled, licking her lips. "Well, when this is all over, one of us will have both scrolls…and the other will be dead."

On that final word, Sasuke and Sakura were overcome as a wave of fear passed over them, through them. Each was momentarily caught up in visions of their own bloody, painful deaths. Neither one could even move what with the all encompassing fright that soaked them to the bone. It wrapped around them like a wet blanket; chilling them and tightening to choke the life from them.

Sasuke could feel himself break into a cold, clammy sweat, and yet he couldn't figure out why. "_What…What is this?_" he thought, mind racing from adrenaline coursing through him. His mind was screaming at his body to move, and yet…nothing. He remained rooted to the spot.

Sakura's thoughts weren't even as collected. She was almost willing to shrivel up into the fetal position had she any control of her body.

"Kukuku, you can't even move, can you?" the androgynous nin chuckled, her voice practically oozing a sadistic ill intent. "You're so weak. Maybe I should just kill you now?" she cooed.

Sasuke was throwing all he could into willing himself to get the Hell out of there. Anywhere would be better. The Grass nin was strolling toward them easily, like a cat playing with its food. "…_Move…Damnit, move!_"

"I expected you to be more of a challenge," the Grass nin added finally before lazily tossing a pair of kunai at them. Though the throw looked relaxed, gentle, the kunai sailed swiftly from her left hand.

Seeing the impending death coming at him, Sasuke dredged up everything he had. "_Move, Sasuke. Move!_" And bringing his fist down, ran his kunai deep into his own thigh. The pain was sharp, but freeing. It came to the front of his mind, replacing the feelings of death brought on by the Grass nin. The spell broken, he managed to scoop Sakura up and bolted from tree to tree until they were back among the high branches and away from the freakshow. The two kunai, barely missing them, thunking into the massive tree roots that had been behind them.

The Grass genin watched the Uchiha flee appraisingly. "He overcame the fear with pain," she murmured, happy. "So, this prey is not so helpless after all."

Sasuke had barely been able to put Sakura, slightly more aware, down when they were set upon by a massive snake. That is, a snake whose head was the size of a small house. Its open maw was closing in on them, but they escaped once more, leaving the reptile to sink its fangs into the large branch they'd landed on. The whole time, Sasuke had seen that Grass nin's face superimposed over that of the gigantic python.

As the snake came once more for the fleeing Uchiha, he was overcome by his fright and launched volley after volley of shuriken into its open mouth. "Stay away!" he shouted as the shuriken tore into the soft tissue lining the creature's mouth. It writhed around before falling to the ground, lifeless. Apparently, the shuriken had been well thrown, a few lacerating the tissue spinal cord at the back of the throat. But too soon, at a concentrated point where the shuriken had almost passed through, and stood exposed on the back of the neck, the scales began cracking. Something was coming out. "I can sense your fear and desperation."

High above, Sasuke, panting from the exertion and from his own fear, watched in horrified fascination as the Grass nin climbed from within the snake.

Similarly, Sakura was also held enthralled, but hadn't even been able to muster the courage to stand after escaping, let alone fight back. She was very lucky that the snake, and its master, seemed more interested in the Uchiha.

"It's only natural," the woman continued, straightening up after emerging from the snake. "The prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment…in the presence of its predator," she laughed mockingly. Her creepy tongue waving at them. And then she was upon them. Her body, elongating in resemblance to the creature that had birthed her mere seconds before, shot upward, coiling around the thick tree, closing in on the frozen Uchiha.

"Thunk, thunk, thunk."

Her progress was halted as a trio of kunai rained down, inches from her face, forming a line in front of her.

"You're not welcome here."

Sasuke, and the still relatively close Sakura both recognized that voice.

AN: Again, sorry for the lateness, but, luckily, for those of you that aren't heartless bastards who consider my writing to be puerile who I don't really give a shit about, chapter 11 should be up soon as I am on a roll.


	11. It's On Like Donkey Kong, Bitch!

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

_**Hello**_/Demon or Summon Thought

AN: I know, I'm late, but instead of posting as soon as I get enough down, I'm building up a stockpile so that I can write and not worry about deadlines of any sort.

Chapter 11: It's On Like Donkey Kong, Bitch!

Three minutes earlier:

He awoke to the sensation of pain filling his throbbing body. Eyes cracking open, he was immediately made aware that he was in a pile of branches and pieces of trees. Pushing them off was proven difficult as a second later he found that his right arm was dislocated. Still, it was a manner of seconds before he was on his feet again.

Reaching up and gripping his right arm, he yanked down, resetting the joint. The pain was immense. "…Ow." Yeah, dislocation was up there with broken rib. No manner of training or prior exposure could truly prepare you for that pain. "_How long-_"

"**You were out for a few minutes,**" Kyubi answered quickly. Over their link, he could sense her worry easing.

"_That was a wind jutsu._"

"**No shit. You weren't out long, thankfully. Now, if you'll just look to your right-**" He did, and looked up…and up…and up at the descending mouth of a gargantuan python. "Oh," he said simply.

"**Yeah.**"

And the snake snapped him up. It should be remembered though that some summon animals are rather stupid, size not being a factor for intelligence. The little one had tasted rather…dry, but it didn't really care.

High above, a certain blonde looked down at the happy snake and made a ram handsign. "_Boom._" It was almost comic as the snake's head seemed to vaporize, exploding into a shower of scaly gore, leaving a headless body behind.

"**Now aren't you glad you had those demolition class explosive notes on you?**" his sister said in an 'I told you so' manner.

"_Hai, hai._" A moment later, the headless body disappeared into a cloud of smoke. "_A summon? Anko-san wouldn't send her summons into the forest during the test. And she'd never attack a fellow Leaf nin with them,_" he mused. And, as one, the answer came to both him and the fox within. There was one other with the ability to summon snakes.

"…Aw shit…" Naruto spat, with hearty agreement from Kyubi. Things just got very complicated. In less than a second he had dropped his weights to the ground, leaving a clone to take them. It wouldn't guarantee he'd see them again, but he couldn't risk sealing them. That would take several more seconds than he had. To Hell with the exam, he just hoped that his teammates were still alive. Sure, he may not like them all that much, but he did not wish death upon them. Setting off, he was a blur down the path of damage created by his unconscious flight, and was soon onto the trail of his teammates…and someone else. Someone with the distinct odor of snakes.

Now:

Sending the 'Grass nin' a frosty glare, "You're not welcome here…Orochimaru," the blonde growled. This was not a fight he wanted to walk into unprepared, and his mind was considering any possible options at getting himself and the others out of there.

The 'genin', actually seemed surprised at seeing the blonde…alive. He had been certain that his summon would have been able to dispatch the boy. What's more, he knew who he was. Still, if anything he was adaptable. "Kukukuku. So, you survived my summon, and you even know who I am." Her hand reached up to her face. The fingers sank into the skin, pulling it away. With a low, sickening squelch, the face of the Grass genin fell away, revealing a pale man's face beneath. Yellow eyes with slit, snake-like pupils gave him an insidious look.

Sasuke, unable to let this get any further quickly pulled the Heaven scroll from his pouch. "Here. If you let us go, we'll give you our scroll." And with a hasty toss, the scroll flew through the air. Its flight was only a few feet before a tanned hand stopped it.

"Uchiha-san, don't be a fool."

"Me? You're the one acting foolish. Can't you see? He's too strong. He'll kill us!"

Sighing, "And there's nothing that a simple scroll can do to save us either." He locked gazes with the former Sannin who was smirking at the byplay. "He is one of the Sannin, Uchiha-san, and is a traitor of the Leaf village. He is not here for the test."

"Don't be a fo-"

"Whack!" The Uchiha scion was thrown back towards the trunk. "I am not the one acting foolish, Uchiha," this time not even bothering with any honorific. "If he is adamant in fighting us then there is nothing we can do to sway him. We can't even escape. So quit being a coward," insult stinging the blue-clad genin.

Orochimaru seemed almost giddy at this development. The blonde wasn't being affected like the other two. His killing intent was enough to bring most ninja below Jonin to their knees, and yet the boy was standing, nay, glaring back at him in defiance. And his argument was strong and logical. "You are an interesting one, too," he chuckled. "How did you escape my pet?"

"I gave it indigestion." Naruto stood ready. "Regardless, leave this place, snake." He could probably handle a Jonin, if he was lucky, but he wasn't ready for someone at kage level. The snake had enough experience and tricks to make him a lethal opponent. And his teammates being nearby limited him from using his more powerful jutsus. Then again, employing a few big ones could definitely speed up ANBU in coming and getting them. Naruto bristled as the traitor of the Leaf slowly reached over and pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a tattoo. No, a seal.

"Let us see where this goes." And, after nicking his thumb on one of his shark fang-like teeth, the revealed Orochimaru ran the blood covered digit down the intricate tattoo on his left forearm. "Summoning." And, from a cloud of smoke, emerged the biggest snake either of them had seen as of yet, the creepy hebi nin standing on its head.

The scattered trio of genin divided once more in an attempt to avoid the whopper of a belly flop of the giant snake as it tried to crush them with its bulk.

Meanwhile, outside Area 44, one Anko Mitaraishi had been enjoying a nice repast, snacking on a few skewers of dango, when a Chunin had informed her of deaths. Not too strange except for the fact that they occurred outside of the forest. And it was as she looked at the faceless corpses that dread chilled her to the core. There was only one person who would do this… "It's him…" she mumbled.

Kotetsu, more familiar with Anko than the others knew almost immediately who she would have this kind of reaction toward. "Are you sure, ma'am?"

Her head whipped around. "Inform the Hokage! I'm going into the forest. Have him send in ANBU immediately!"

"Yes, ma'am!" all three Chunin affirmed, jumping to attention. But Anko never saw it; she was already gone, heading back to the Forest of Death.

"_It's you, isn't it?_" she wondered. "_I won't let you hurt anyone else!_"

Things weren't going too well for Team 7. Mostly, they'd been on the defensive. Naruto, being the only one actually willing to fight back, was having to cover his ass, and those of his team as well. A difficult task considering they were being set upon by a snake close to a hundred odd meters in length. You'd think as much as it weighed it would be slow. Well, slower than them. No such luck.

A pair of shadow clones carried Sakura between them. She wasn't drawing as much attention as the original blonde and the Uchiha were, but collateral damage was mounting. As one, they jumped to the side as the snake's tail broke the thick tree branch they'd been resting on. Splinters and chunks of the branch rained through the air around them.

Naruto, the original, was stuck watching over the Uchiha, and was growing increasingly annoyed with his charge. "Come, come, little children," Orochimaru teased. "Surely, you can do more than just run."

"**Beneath you!**" Kyubi warned.

Naruto threw Sasuke away, but was broadsided by a massive snake tongue. He began the handsigns for the Air Bullet technique, but was ensnared by the slimy tongue instead. It encircled him, crushing his ribs and arms from the pressure. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't even move his arms, let alone his fingers to form handsigns, and his focus was too erratic to use a substitution.

"Kuku, you're certainly very protective of your teammates."

Naruto's head whipped upward in surprise, noticing that he was almost nose to nose with the vile shinobi. If he wasn't so busy trying to get the Hell out of there, he would consider vomiting at the look of glee on the Sannin's face.

"You've grown strong, young jinchuuriki," he cooed. The words feeling as slimy to the senses as the snake's tongue trapping him there. Naruto just glared, trying desperately to move.

"Far stronger than the last time I saw you." Naruto stilled. Orochimaru smirked. "So you do remember. I remember it so fondly, kukuku." That chill that had filled Naruto since realizing the snake Sannin was in the forest returned with a vengeance, and his stomach felt like he'd swallowed a boulder. "You were so small then. I was surprised when that fool of a Chunin brought you to me. Surprised at how something so small could hold such immense power. But, then that surprise turned to disappointment as I realized your system had so little influence from what you held. Kukukuku. Obviously, things have changed."

While these words were spoken, Naruto was in a land of his own. He heard them, true, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He was back in the Academy. Mizuki had mentioned to him that the Hokage was waiting for him with a surprise, and escorted him down the halls. The giddiness that had filled the six year-old's mind. Then, entering the darkened classroom, and the immediate dread that filled his very being as he knew on an instinctual level that something was very wrong. Then came the beating by Mizuki. He would heal, and then the Chunin would begin his assault anew. And his last true memory of that day, that cold, sinister laugh. This time though, instead of fading away, he saw the eyes of his attacker. Yellow, gleaming eyes with slit pupils. The eyes of a snake.

On the outside, the result was immediate. Naruto had gone deathly still while Orochimaru had gone on a small rant. That all changed when his head lifted once more, and he and the Sannin made eye contact. Gold and snakelike eyes were confronted by gleaming crimson irises with slit black pupils. The traitor of Konoha had barely a moment to recognize this change when a shockwave erupted from the blonde.

Chakra blew outward, burning into the sensitive flesh of the snake's tongue. The creature hissed in pain and instinctively let go, trying to get away from the one hurting it. By the time that had happened, the slimy appendage had blackened marks along its length from the intense chakra burns. Disappearing in a blur of speed, he reappeared after landing a heavy right to Orochimaru's jaw, sending him careening into a near tree trunk. Falling for several meters, a clone appeared beneath him. Using it as a springboard, the blonde launched himself back upward and just managed to scramble onto a branch.

Digging himself out of the indentation he'd made in the tree, Orochimaru was growing more and more impressed with the blonde. The boy had certainly changed from the last time he had seen him. A smiling, happy boy he had been, but not anymore. What intrigued him the most was the change in regards to Kyubi. "I must admit, I'm curious," the snake nin mused from atop his seething reptile. "Before, you wee uninfluenced. This…energy…was absent from your system. I was quite disappointed then, but now…" He let the sentence hang, only to smile creepily.

Naruto was silent. But whereas he usually remained so due to habit, now he was simply too far gone to say anything. He was angry like never before.

"**Otouto!**" Kyubi shouted, but was still mostly unheard. "**You've got to calm down!**"

"…_It was him._"

"**Yes. We've established that already.**"

"…" On the outside, the blonde growled, glaring holes in the sniggering former Konoha nin.

"**There's a time for everything, otouto. And now is not the time for this! You could survive a fight against this man, but I doubt your teammates would.**" And though he didn't want to see things rationally, he was struck with the truth in her words, and turned to look over the other members of Team 7. Sakura, under his clone honor guard, was shaking like a leaf. And Sasuke…he was only a little better, conflicted between running and trying to get his body to move. Kyubi was right. They wouldn't survive if he didn't do something to protect them. Which meant that he would have to put his anger aside. Gritting his teeth, he turned back to the pale man and glared balefully back at him.

"Ooooh, having doubts?" The perceptive man had seen the moment's change in the blonde. How he seemed to pause and out of nowhere his mood changed. The genius that he was, albeit a twisted one, he had an idea as to what had happened. "_So, he speaks with his demon. What's more, it is actually keeping him from embracing his rage. Interesting._"

Sakura was in a terrible state. She wasn't gripped in raw terror like before, but she was frozen all the same at the fight she was witnessing. She knew her teammate was strong. He was always quiet, secretive, and never really did anything to show just how strong he was. She was often one to believe that Sasuke was the best of them, but now…seeing what she was seeing…she felt…doubt. Her blonde team member, always so quiet and even tempered, had gone off… It was horrifying…and mesmerizing. The power exploding out of him that made the very trees shake around them, and the fury with which he attacked their enemy. This was not the Naruto she knew. And, for a brief moment, it flashed through her mind just how little she actually knew of him.

Sasuke was similarly frozen, but where she felt unexplainable fear, he knew exactly why he was stilled. He knew that this enemy was far above them, and to act would be tantamount to sacrificing their lives…his life. And yet…there his blonde team member was, fighting tooth and nail against this oppressive opponent, unleashing wave after wave of attacks. Chakra practically filled the air after exploding from him. And as much as he reminded himself that such fighting was foolish against such an opponent, another part of him was arguing back. Why was the blonde fighting back? How was he so strong? Was he always this strong, holding back what he showed them, and to him? His very core filled with a bitter resentment for the blonde. For his power, and for his own reluctance to fight back.

"_The fire in his eyes has cooled,_" Orochimaru mused to himself.

Taking a breath to regain some modicum of composure, "Orochimaru of the Sannin, traitor of Konoha, you have been warned. Leave this village."

Orochimaru snickered, a hissing laugh. "And why would I do something like that when I find our little spar so very amusing?"

Staying cool. "You didn't return to fight me. In fact, you seemed surprised that I was even still alive. The fact that you have attacked my team specifically makes me wary as to your true purpose. And since Haruno-san is not well known… You are here for Uchiha-san."

"Quite a thorough analysis," he cooed. "And if you can beat me I just might tell you why."

"You will not touch my teammates," the blonde resolved, blue eyes changing to resemble that of cold steel. And as if that statement were a starter's pistol, the blonde threw himself into the fray.

From the beginning, he had known that the traitorous snake was hiding the true extent of his abilities. He assumed it was to prevent his detection. It would have complicated things if ANBU were to track him down. Still, that was little to console him. He had no grand delusions of being able to defeat him, but he would at least by his teammates time to snap out of it and escape. At the least, if they caused enough damage, surely ANBU would notice.

The pale nin was inwardly thrilled at the skill and power the blonde was exhibiting. He was light-years beyond what he had expected after seeing him as a boy. If it wouldn't put his own life in danger with his old…associates…he would mark this boy as a subordinate or even a future vessel. His clones were fighting well. In fact, they were well and truly keeping him busy. Too busy, he noted a second later as a harsh cry came to his ears. Jerking his head around to the near tree, he saw a clone…no, the original…standing against the side of a tree, right arm outstretched, and a gleam in his eyes…a crazy gleam.

He watched his clones be slaughtered, absorbing their knowledge of the fight, and calculating any possibilities. Slim to none. "_Which leaves me with… The old man's going to kill me._"

"**Are you sure, otouto?**" Kyubi asked, more than a little nervous. "**You know what happened last ti-**"

"_I know!_" he shot back. Like he had ever managed to forget that time. "_I'm not making any headway. To make any difference…I've got to think of something outside the box._" He sighed internally. Oh, he knew he wasn't going to like this.

"**The old monkey'll kill you.**"

Using his clones as a distraction, he moved away, putting a little distance between himself and the notorious Sannin. Certain that the other two weren't in the way, he began the handseals. Almost immediately, he felt the power buildup. That unpleasant burning tingle.

Few people actually knew how difficult jutsu invention was. Modifying jutsus wasn't any easier. You had to know the jutsu from top to bottom before even thinking about expanding on it. Each handseal had a purpose in the molding of chakra. Removing even one could do any number of things from destabilizing the technique to making it draw more chakra. One had to know the purpose of each and every seal, and be able to modify them as needed in order to change the jutsu.

This had been one of his first. He was proud of it, but, oh, did he hate it.

It was an early attempt at upping the power of a C class lightning jutsu. Originally, it had been seven seals, but the modifications had brought it up to thirty one. It had taken him the better part of a year, and many a headache, but it was a success in the end. Well, mostly.

The reason why he hated it? Four out of five times it worked, but left his arm severely strained. And the other twenty percent of the time…let's just say growing back a limb is very painful.

Yet the end result was something else. After the chewing out he'd received from the old kage, as well as being forbidden from ever using the technique unless his life was in danger, the jutsu had been placed into the Forbidden Scroll as an S class forbidden technique. Its name…

"Lightning Style: White Lightning," the blonde grit out as the charge ripped itself down his right arm and out from his hand. An explosive blast of what could be mistaken as lightning, over two meters in width, rocketed towards the Sannin who was only now noticing him.

The original technique had been a short range, low power, shot of electricity from the index and middle fingers. But removing a few limiters and altering the chakra draw as well as the control seals, he had turned a C ranked pee shooter into an S ranked cannon.

Hokage Tower:

The Sandaime was taking a much needed break from signing documents, his hand cramping up from the sheer volume of writing he had done…and had yet to do. Letting out a deep, tired breath, he rotated his chair around so he could look over the village. Despite the fighting going on in the exam, the village itself was rather quiet, peaceful. Reaching for his cup of midday's coffee, he took a sip and leaned back, appreciating the calm. Only to find himself spewing the powerful brew across the room as a massive bolt of lightning shot out from Training Area 44. "What in blazes?" he gasped, choking on the remnants of coffee he'd inhaled.

Who in Hell could have produced a jutsu of that… Oh, Hell… "ANBU!" he barked. There was no reason for the boy to pull out that technique. He'd expressly forbidden it under anything less than the direst of circumstances, and there should be no one that strong in the test. So what was going on in the forest for him to use it? A masked nin appeared, kneeling, in front of the desk.

"Hokage-sama."

"Find Anko. She and your team are to enter the forest," he barked harshly.

"Sir?"

"I believe trouble is brewing."

The door burst open and one of the infamous troublemaking Chunin duo came to a stop at the aged leader's desk, gasping for air. He was pale and looked absolutely terrified about something. "…Hokage-sa…sama…Anko has entered…the forest. It's…Orochimaru…"

Blindsided by this unexpected attack, not to mention the intensity of it, Orochimaru immediately began to sink back into the limb upon which he stood, only for several clones to restrain him. His summon threw itself against the brunt of the attack to protect its master. It was with stunned, fearful fascination as he watched the serpent be engulfed and burnt away by the attack in but a moment, not even slowing it down as it raced at him. He ripped himself free of the clones and threw himself away. His left arm though caught the edge of the attack, and a wretched scream ripped out of his throat. What had been a pale arm with perfectly healthy digits was a burnt, blackened mess halfway up his summoning seal. An odor of cooked flesh surrounded him, smoking off what remained of the limb. The slightest movement of the appendage sent pain wracking every nerve of his body. He stared down at where his hand once was, seeing the mess that it was, and back up at the boy he had deemed interesting. A fiery anger burned in his veins.

He fell back against the tree, right arm dangling limply at his side.

"My arm… How dare you!" the snake user seethed.

Behind his mask, Naruto smirked. It felt…euphoric…to piss him off. Still, he took stock of his arm. It was still intact, thankfully, but it ached like nothing else. It would take time to heal the damage done to the chakra coils in his arm.

"_That jutsu…I've never seen it before. Is it his biju? Is it granting him power?_" Looking behind him, he noticed that there were holes, sizzling big ones, clear through several trees. He couldn't allow the jinchuuriki to pull another attack like that out of nowhere. Taking his chance, now that the blonde was momentarily drained, and unable to use his arm, he sped across the tree limb. Rolling over the side, he launched himself at the blonde on the trunk. The boy tried to pivot and kick him in the ribs, but the attack was held fast, and thrown away by the Sannin's one good arm. The fatigued blonde was hurled across the clearing only to be batted aside, into the branch the pale one had previously left. Hardly had he landed, coughing blood, when he was lifted, and thrown against the trunk. Ignoring the pain, Orochimaru used his crispy stub of an arm to hold the blonde against the tree, forearm crushing his larynx.

"_I can't have any more surprises out of you,_" he thought, the fingertips of his good hand glowing with a ghostly fire. He remembered where the seal had been placed, having examined it before on that night. "Five-Prongued Seal!" he spat out, and slammed the claw of a hand into the boy's stomach. Beneath his clothes, the Shiki Fuuin reappeared, and five new symbols burned into the seal.

The change was immediate. The boundless energy that the boy seemed to exhibit, all but faded to nothing, as, once released, he wobbled then fell to his knees.

Crimson orbs deepened back into blue as the power left him, until finally his pupils turned round once more. His gaze was dull, but he managed to stay awake.

"Burnt out, are we?" the snake Sannin jeered mockingly, before lashing out with a backhand to the blonde's face. It was powerful enough that the force actually brought him back up to his feet, wobbling. For what seemed like an eternity, the enraged man worked out his anger on the boy. He knew he couldn't kill him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't beat the snot out of the impudent whelp for his actions.

Sakura watched in mounting disgust and horror as their attacker continued to pound on Naruto. She felt cold as shame welled up in her. Naruto had protected them, and they were just standing around, watching as he was being beaten to a pulp.

She was weak, she knew that. Even if she could move, all she would do was get in the way. But she just couldn't watch the pummeling anymore. The blonde's face was a mess. His mask was missing, but it made little difference as the flesh it once hid was broken and bruised. It angered her, and that feeling grew at the sight of her crush. Someone who she had deemed strong and brave for years.

He was a statue. Unmoving, his gaze was enthralled by the beating his blonde teammate now seemed to be receiving. He knew this would happen. Sure, the idiot had had an amazing upsurge of power, but that had faded and he was now being brutally ripped to pieces.

"Sasuke, what's wrong with you?" He managed to turn his head a little to see his other team member in the corner of his vision. "Why aren't you doing anything?" She didn't understand. How could she, she was just a useless weakling. They were going to die and there was nothing to stop it.

"_Foolish little brother…_" His mind twitched into sluggish motion as he remembered that day.

Meanwhile, the pinkette was growing quite annoyed at him. He was far stronger than she was and yet he wasn't even trying to fight back. "Naruto may be a mute jackass at times, but at least he's fighting!" she shouted to him, at him.

"AT LEAST HE'S NO COWARD!"

Right then and there something snapped in the Uchiha. "_Foolish little brother… You can't kill me._" Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, taking back control of his body and emotions that had been wrested from him. "_Your hate's not strong enough. Just run away. Run away and live._"

"_NO!_" His eyelids snapped open to reveal his incomplete Sharingan.

Orochimaru had ignored the little girl for the most part. She was no threat to him. But he paused in the middle of breaking a few of the blonde's ribs when he felt a blistering heat, and incoming chakra signatures. Immediately replacing himself with a mud clone, he managed to avoid the Fire jutsu that had been launched at him. The blonde had been spared, but everything in the immediate area above him was crispy and smoking. His attention now returned to the Uchiha boy who had been cowering seconds before. Orochimaru saw the resolve that now burned in the boys twin Sharingan eyes.

"_So, his Uchiha blood has finally come to a boil._"

What followed was a masterful show. That is, for anyone who could see that the hebi was leading the Uchiha around by his ego. Sure, he was using some powerful techniques and combos that were difficult for most Chunin, but he just had no idea of who he was fighting.

To clarify, both Sasuke and Sakura had heard the name Orochimaru mentioned by the blonde earlier, and they knew who the traitor of the Leaf was. However, as lost in their own fear as they had been they had heard, but not registered the name.

So, Sasuke was fighting, finally, but he had no idea of how far out of his league he was.

Sasuke fell to one knee, chest heaving as he greedily sucked in air. Sharingan eyes blazed in the direction of a fiery inferno. For a brief moment he thought of how this was the enemy Naruto couldn't defeat. That did it…he truly was the best. The Uchiha prevail. Looking to the downed form of his teammate for a split second, "_Serves you right. You thought you could beat him, and failed. All it took was someone with __real__ talent to do it."_ And while he was salivating at the mere idea of the jutsu that the blonde had used, devastating as it was, he was willing to push those thoughts aside for the moment to savor this small victory. This step forward, closer to his true goal.

Oh, yeah. Sasuke Uchiha, the definition of the word humble.

"Oh, that was very good for one so young." Sasuke froze in mid anti-blonde tirade. It was almost like the world slowed down. His head was rotating back to the fire, to where his opponent should be dead, only to see the face of said opponent racing towards him with a pair of long fangs bared, his own neck stretching like rubber. And before he could even really register the actions, he was on the ground, screaming at the fire that was scorching through his veins.

Pulling his teeth from the boy's neck with a sickening squelching noise, the Sannin smirked down at his work. "_You will make a fine vessel…when the time is right._" Oh, he would have loved to get the blonde, but he could settle for a genius instead.

"What did you do to him?" Orochimaru turned back to the sole conscious member of the genin cell, a wide, satisfied grin adorning his face.

"Oh, I just gave him a gift, that's all," he cooed as his body began melting into the tree branch beneath him. And as he sank to his neck, he left some final words. "He will come for me, to seek the power only I can give him."

This statement frightened the poor girl to no end. "Naruto! Sasuke's hurt!" she cried, hoping for the reliable boy to wake up at that request. But he remained silent and still on his branch. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Why was she always so useless?

"Twin Snakes Suicude Technique," she growled, stabbing a kunai simultaneously through her left hand and Orochimaru's remaining hand and into the tree's side. She smirked at him through the pain. "We go together," she grit out smugly.

"Tut, tut, Anko, using the forbidden jutsu I taught you." Anko shivered at the cruel voice. From the corner of her eye, she watched as a humanoid form emerged from the limb.

"_But-_" She looked back to the Orochimaru in her grasp only to see a melting mud clone. "_Damnit!_" She tried to move, but the moment he set an even gaze on her her shoulder ached with a fiery pain that spread throughout. Her seal, one of the first Heaven seals, incomplete as it was, sent spasms of pain through her entire body.

"Behave, little Anko," he chided, receiving a string of pained curses.

"Why…are you…here?" she ground out.

He smiled down at her. "Well, I've heard that the Leaf has many promising shinobi so I decided to…select…a few to join me. Or maybe just crush the village and take it as my own. Kukuku, the possibilities. Especially from the ones I just met."

"What have you done?" she growled, managing to climb to one knee.

"Oh, I just gave the Uchiha a little test. If he survives…kuku."

"…Bastard…"

"Tell my fool of a sensei not to cancel the exams, or I will surely destroy his beloved village." Anko felt a chill with how confident he seemed at that ultimatum. He leaned down until his face was inches from her own. "Now, how about a kiss for your beloved former sensei?" His hand cupped her cheek like a vice.

It was only the adrenaline in his veins and the day of surprises that saved him as a large blade swept at his face. The hebi jumped back in defense of the attack before blinking at his attackers, and doing so again. What in Hell?

"Here, snakey, snakey," giggled a sleek silvery fox the size of a pony as she hopped impatiently from paw to paw. Her lithe frame and light pitched voice giving away the fact that it was a she. On either side of her were two equally large canines, though their bulk spoke of strength over speed.

"The mission first, 'Kari," the pitch black one rumbled. He was a mass of rippling muscles and scars covering his fur. He was also the only one without a weapon.

"Aww, but I wanted ta play," she pouted through the tanto in her mouth.

Orochimaru, getting over his momentary shock, glared back at the mysterious animals. They were summons. They had to be. But whose? "Who in the pit are you?" he snarled.

The quiet grey-black fox matched glares with the seething human. "We were ordered to make sure you didn't hurt anyone else, hebi-teme." His impressive figure was only enhanced by the massive cleaver strapped to his back.

"By who?"

"Yap, yap, yap… Time to die!" the borderline psychotic vixen cackled, launching at him, followed by her partners.

"_I don't have time for this,_" Orochimaru surmised. He was far from being at optimum power, and he wasn't up for fighting summons that he knew nothing about. So when the tanto rent his head from his shoulders, his body broke up into a mass of slithering reptiles.

"Well, damn," the dark male growled scathingly. "We'll have to report this. Come on."

"Wait!" Anko called to them, insistent. The trio turned to her hunched over form. Struggling, she managed to make it to a semi standing position with her still clutching her aching shoulder.

"What?" asked the lead fox.

"Who are you? Are you…with Konoha?" she gasped from a fresh twinge through her seal.

"Our summoner ordered us to pursue the snake should he escape him, and ensure that he didn't hurt anyone else."

"Your summoner wouldn't happen to be a quiet blonde, would he?" she asked. It was a hunch, but from what her bastard of a former sensei had said, he'd fought the Uchiha's team. And she was betting on a feeling.

"Maybe… 'Kari, would you stop that?" Said silver vixen was looking at the Special Jonin with a gleam in her eyes.

"I like her!" she chimed. "She looks like a real psycho bitch!"

"HEY!" The quiet silver-black fox shimmered before reappearing behind her.

"Don't take it the wrong way. From her, it's a compliment. She isn't exactly…well balanced." To the side, the silvery vixen was cursing up a storm at missing a chance to skin the traitorous Sannin, and how she was going to torture him, going into great detail. Now Anko was looking adoringly at the vixen.

"_I think I've just met my soul mate._" Still, things needed to be done. Now. "I need you to help me. Can you get me to the tower at the center of the forest?"


	12. Trudging Along

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

_**Hello**_/Demon or Summon Thought

AN: Sorry, but it's been a bear. Tests and papers. I finally have a free moment to submit this.

Chapter 12: Trudging Along

The sun glittered through the dense foliage, errant beams of light scattering all over. One such beam landed on the closed eyes of a rather woe begotten looking young blonde. He was lying back against the edge of the inside of the tree. To his right, further inside, lay the fidgeting, feverish body of his teammate, Sasuke Uchiha. The only currently conscious member of the group, who had spent the previous day and night since the fight caring for them, was the final member of the team, Sakura Haruno. All three looked like Hell, the two males more so as they had actually been fighting.

Sakura had managed to drag both her disabled teammates from the trees above down to this arboreal shelter. For hours she had watched them, occasionally applying cool compresses to the dark haired boy as his fever showed no signs of breaking. She looked across her to her blonde teammate. He had woken twice in the last twelve hours, but the fight had taxed him to the point that he still needed rest.

It was up to her. They had stepped up. Maybe it was time for her to do the same.

She winced at Naruto's full-body twitch whenever he moved his arm in his sleep. What was that jutsu he had used? When she had gone to get them, she had looked at the aftermath. It had burned a massive hole through several trees that were many meters in diameter. That lightning jutsu… Its power had been immense. How could he have known such a jutsu when he was just a genin? And then she had remembered Wave country and how he had taught her and Sasuke each a jutsu. From what little she actually knew about him, besides him being extremely secretive, he knew a lot more than he was letting on.

Still… She looked at his fried arm. Whatever jutsu that was, it was obvious that using it came with a price.

Anko had never been so relieved. Halfway to the tower, her allies had stopped dead in their tracks, dropped her and disappeared. She was only confused for a moment before she was alerted to the presence of several ANBU appearing around her. Less than an hour later, she was being helped onto the couch by the Bear masked ANBU.

"Leave us," the hokage ordered. Nodding, the ANBU and his compatriots exited the room in a series of blurs. Grimace still firmly in place, Sarutobi looked over the young special Jonin. She was putting on a brave front, but there was worry in her eyes. A disturbing thought as she was considered a regular badass among the Jonin of the village. "Was it him?" There was no point in clarifying. Anko looked away. "I see. What have you found out?"

"He came here for a purpose," she answered. "He said he'd 'tested' a team of genin in the forest." The aged kage's jaw clenched on the stem of his pipe, to the point that it was close to breaking.

"Do you know who?"

"He mentioned the Uchiha brat. He stated that if you cancelled the exams he would attack the village," she added. "Sir, if he's marked-" she began, but was cut off.

"I know, Anko. If he has really marked the boy… Damn him. We can't cancel the exams. Regardless of my foolish student's threat, to do so would stir up trouble with the other villages. For now, we can only hope that Kakashi's students survive the forest, and the Uchiha the curse placed upon him."

Anko slumped back into the worn leather couch. Few knew it, but she lived in the tower. Having the reputation of being the student of a man who had committed atrocities and turned traitor had left a stain on her that would never wash out. Something the people of the village had never let her forget.

She had learned to develop a persona of the sadistic bitch to keep the more foolish people in line. It kept them from overcharging her at stores and kept her relatively safe from attacks. Not that she completely blamed her bastard of a sensei. She blamed herself even more. She had been such a naïve bitch. She had been more than a apprentice, she'd been absolutely devoted to him. Ever the fucking apple polisher. Then, he'd abandoned her, left for dead as a failed experiment, and she'd learned the truth about him.

She'd been rescued by the Sandaime. He had defended her from the council when they had demanded she be jailed for being the man's student, claiming she was tainted.

"What else can you tell me?"

She grimaced, not really wanting to remember the failed attempt to kill the evil fucker. "His left arm," she murmured. "It was roasted from the bicep down."

Internally, Sarutobi smirked. He had a good idea of who to award responsibility of that to.

"And during our fight, I was…assisted," she added. He raised a brow in show of confusion. "Sir, since when has there been a summoning contract for foxes?" she asked innocently enough, enjoying the twitch that went through the village leader. "And should I assume the council already knows?"

"Mitaraishi-san, I cannot order you to lie to the council, but I would prefer it if you-"

"Kept my trap shut?" she finished with a smirk. "Hokage-sama, remember who you're talking to. I live to piss off the council." He gave a sigh of relief. "So, is the owner of said contract who I already think it is?" She really wanted to get her hooks into that contract. That vixen was so fucking psychotic that she wanted to be her best friend.

"**Naruto, get up.**"

"Uuuuuuuunnnnnngggghhhhh…." Face down on the floor, he groaned, not moving an inch. Exasperated, the lone vixen sat back, resigned to wait.

Waiting sucked. When he did manage to wake up, he was so getting 'the look'.

Four and a half hours later:

Sakura was dipping in and out of a daze as she watched over her two teammates. She was haggard and worn completely out, yet she kept her vigil over them. They had fought so hard while she had done nothing, so caring for them now was the least she could do.

On instinct, the kunai flew from her fingers.

It embedded centimeters from the squirrel that had been bounding towards their improvised shelter. It chattered fearfully before double-timing it away back into the bushes.

'_That was too close_,' she ranted, her heartbeat racing at the shock of it all. Her nerves, fried as they were, had her jumping at squirrels now.

In the bushes nearby, a trio of Sound genin observed everything. "So close, too," whined Zaku. "Can't we just go over there and kill her?"

Rolling her eyes at her bloodthirsty team member, "Did she see the tag?" asked Kin.

Dosu's eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the tired kunoichi. "No, that's not it."

"So what should we do?"

Dosu shrugged. "For once, I think we should do what Zaku suggests." The named teen grinned eagerly. Blood would be spilled.

Consciousness was highly overrated. That was what came to mind when he awoke to his mindscape. Two things should be noted. First, few, if any, people can actually conjure an actual place within their mind. Then again, the seal was designed to allow a neutral territory between himself and Kyubi. Second, just because he was in his mind did not mean he couldn't feel every ache and pain of his physical body.

That second one was really starting to piss him off. He was keenly aware of the searing pain in his right arm before he even opened his eyes.

"'**Bout time**," Kyubi pouted angrily.

Cracking his eyes, he was immediately aware of the fact that the scene he had crafted and maintained for so many years had degenerated to a dank sewer.

"**Welcome to my Hell**," Kyubi continued. She was wet and this was not an environment she appreciated.

Sitting up, he bit back the cry of pain that raced through him. If he wasn't conscious before, the adrenalin pumping through him made sure he was now, arguments over the effect of adrenalin on one's mental avatar being left for some other time, not to mention how pain worked here. "…How bad?" he managed to rasp after catching his breath.

Cocking her head to the side, "**Well, you still have your arm**," she offered sardonically.

"…"

Sighing in defeat at not getting a response, "**Normally, I'd say a good week of healing, that is, if you did nothing but rest.**"

"Normally?"

Snarling, she bared her fangs. "**That fucking pedo put another seal over the Shiki Fuin. Hence this…shithole.**"

"Please…it's still my mind."

"**Sorry.**"

Walking over to the cage that separated them, he placed his undamaged hand against the bars, yanking it back when he got a good jolt off it. "What's the damage?" he asked again.

"**My yokai's all but locked off from you. You're barely getting a trickle, and that'll take weeks to heal your arm.**"

"_Damn._"

"**It gets worse.**" He felt like smacking himself. "**Your overall chakra capacity has been…handicapped.**"

"How much?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Taking on a calculating look, she stroked her pale chin. "**Hm, I'd say you've still got access to a fifteenth or twentieth of your overall reserve. Putting you at about…**"

"High Chunin level," he mused. An idea was forming. If he was correct, the benefit was…incalculable. Slowly, a grin spread over his face.

Kyubi was freaking out a little. She could count the amount of times her little brother had smiled on one hand, er, paw. "**Um, can you not smile like that? It's…freaky.**"

"I think that traitor may have just done me a favor."

Kyubi blinked, considering for a moment that he might have stepped over the deep end. "**How so?**"

Grinning still, "My capacity is held in check."

"**Mhm.**"

"So, I think we should revisit chakra control."

Her jaw dropped, cutely. It was simple, yet the long-term effects could be well worth the discomfort they were currently experiencing. "**I'm starting to think you're turning more and more into a kitsune as the years go by,**" she snickered. "**Clever.**" Her mirroring grin turned into a frown though barely a moment later. "**You need to wake up. The Uchiha brat's in over his pea-brained head.**"

Sakura looked on in fear as her teammate and crush decimated the trio of Sound nin. This was… This wasn't Sasuke. Her Sasuke couldn't do what she was seeing now. He was taking joy in the pain he inflicted upon them, reveling in it, all the while wearing a cruel smile.

"You're really proud of these arms, aren't you?" the Uchiha sneered, pulling the Oto genin's arms even further behind his back. The flame markings marring his pale skin reflected the gleeful malice dripping from his voice.

Not a second later, a cracking sound ripped through the clearing followed by a muted scream of pain.

And there would have been a second pained scream, had another not stepped in

"That's enough, Sasuke," clipped the blonde. His hand curled firmly around the Uchiha's forearm, preventing him from destroying the other boy's remaining arm. His choice of using his first name showing just how rattled he was by the last day and a half.

"I'm done with the garbage," he said, throwing Zaku to the side. Smirk widening, "Let's see if you're worthy." The Sharingan glinted at him malevolently.

Jaw clenching, he caught the punch that flew at his chest. Unfortunately, with his right arm allbut useless, he had to release the restraining grip of his left hand to intercept the impending punch. It was an obvious move, but the power had increased. Borderline bloodlust had dulled his teammate's senses, making him feel all-powerful. Tightening his hold, he brought the Uchiha forward and rammed him with a merciless headbutt. Sasuke fell like a stone, the dark marks receding into the seal on his neck. "Not just yet," Naruto murmured, dazed. But there was no time for that. There were still things that needed to be taken care of.

"And you?" he ground out, being sure to let out his killing intent to get the point across. Zaku, though barely conscious, was still game. His teammates were smarter, feeling the ki crashing against them.

"Let us leave, and we'll give you our scroll," Dosu said quickly. Passing Zaku to Kin who wasn't doing too well herself, he dug in his hip satchel to produce a scroll.

"Drop it and go," Naruto growled. They didn't need to be told twice. The moment they were gone though, he sagged a little. His body still wasn't back to full strength.

"Naruto!"

He turned back to the tree. "Haruno-san," he sighed tiredly before falling to his knees.

Sakura had barely registered the blur of movement from within the tree before the final member of Team 7 appeared amidst the fight, restraining the possessed Uchiha. As much as she wanted to yell at him for knocking her crush out, a small part of her was gratified to see the murderous actions had ceased, so she let it go. It surprised her though when the blonde, after the Oto genin had been scared away, had sunk to his knees.

"…I'll be fine, Haruno-san," he answered her questioning gaze. Seeing a heap of green, he climbed to his feet and staggered over.

"Lee-san."

"We'll take him off your hands." Hence the arrival of Team Gai. "He is one of ours, after all," Tenten added as she and Neji dropped from the low branches. Neji remained silent, but sent quizzical looks to the Uchiha. There had been something…very dark…about the energy he'd used just moments ago, and his very being told him not to turn his back.

"Heya, blondie," she greeted, picking her teammate up by the shoulders. One would assume she would treat him gently after the Oto team had worked on him. Not likely.

"Hey! WAKE UP!" Tenten shouted at Lee, shaking him violently.

If he hadn't seen this practically every day, training with Gai and Lee, he would be worried. Given his knowledge of them, not to mention his current state…not so much.

Tenten looked horrified as Lee's head rocked back limply. Her solution: shake him harder.

"WAKEUP!WAKEUP!WAKEUP!"

Watching the amusing spectacle he was reminded of the odd little fact that the stronger a shinobi was, the more obvious, or disturbing, their neuroses. Gai and his jumpsuits, Hatake and his porn…and the list goes on. Everyone had their own coping mechanisms.

He dreaded the day he developed one of his own, provided he lived that long or hadn't already developed one…or more.

"Heh, you punks are lucky. Any other team might have just killed you."

Team 8 had had a productive first day. In under three hours, they'd laid a trap using the indigenous jungle leeches to aid them. It hadn't taken too long at all before another team had passed through. And in one fell swoop they'd accomplished their goal.

It had been mainly due to Kiba's pushing that they had stayed in the forest longer instead of heading to the tower. His aggressive attitude had pushed forward the idea of eliminating other teams before they reached the tower to thin out the herd.

Then a bolt of lightning had raced through the canopy overhead, tearing through trees as it went.

Startling, but not quite enough to motivate Kiba to let them move for the tower.

The following morning, day two of their three day stint in the Forest of Death, things got interesting. One of the few Iwa teams in the exam had been caught in their traps. Their reactions were…different…than what they'd seen with the other few teams they'd caught. Usually, the slugs drained enough blood where they were barely able to fight back. But this group…they were maddened. Something had driven them to such a degree that even the slugs were barely having an effect.

Hinata was horrified at what she was witnessing. "YOU CAN'T STOP US! JUSTICE WILL BE OURS!" She almost thought he would gnaw his own arms off to get loose.

"Justice?" Shino questioned. "This is merely a test." The glare the Iwa genin leader threw at him was not detracted by his gnashing teeth or blood-crazed eyes.

"YOU CANNOT FOOL US," one of his teammates crowed. "WE WILL HAVE HIS BLOOD! HIS HEAD BE…longs to…IWA!" The ranting Iwa nin finally gave in to the loss of blood from the leeches and the stress of their joint psychotic episodes. The members of Team 8 shared a glance between them, Kiba even shutting up long enough to look thoughtful. Their joint thought: 'What in Hell were they talking about?'

Fear and worry welled up in the young kunoichi as she thought about the blonde, wondering why the Iwa nin were so adamant at hurting him. She just knew he was the one they were searching for. One thing was for sure, she wouldn't allow it as long as she was able.

It had taken four plus hours for the calmed Uchiha to awaken and a further ten minutes for them to get moving. Any sense of this being a leisurely test had long since been abandoned. With the scroll from the Oto team, and its mate revealed to be in Naruto's possession, they were off and running for the center of the forest. Not just to end this part of the exam, but to get as far away from any more dangers as they possibly could.

Sakura and Sasuke could both see the wary fire burning behind their blonde team member's eyes. He wasn't acting too different than usual, but there was an aura about him that gave off a feeling of dampened apprehension.

His hands hung at his sides as they ran, the good one disguising the fact that the other was useless. Only Sakura could guess otherwise.

Pausing on a lower branch than his teammates he covertly left a shadow clone.

"What's the hold up?" Sasuke hissed back irately. An hour of consciousness hadn't dulled the ache that he knew the blonde was responsible for. Tempers were frayed and flaring.

"Just catching my breath, Uchiha-san" he replied lazily before continuing on after them.

If they only knew.

Not a minute after Team 7 had left, shadows flittered from the canopy to land on the hard dirt below.

"The tower's just ahead. I can see it already," whispered a feminine voice. "We should start setting up an ambush."

"We still have time, but I want to catch up to that Konoha team first," a male ground out. There was confusion in his voice but it was only a catalyst for growing annoyance.

Naruto slid from around the nearest tree. "That isn't likely to happen," he glanced at their village symbols. "Uzu nin-san."

Shikaro openly glared at the target of his irritation. '_Just the Leaf nin I've been looking for._' "Who are you?" he ground out, cautious of subterfuge. His teammates were just as on edge, wary of the blonde's two missing team members. They covertly scanned the hanging branches for sound and movement. Now that they had the chance, they could properly look over the supposed 'Uzumaki', as the test proctor had dubbed him.

He was fairly tall for their age, fourteen by their guess. Bright golden hair hung in long, limp spikes shadowing his eyes. He wasn't thin, nor was he bulky. Instead, he was wiry and strong. Sadly, any truly distinguishing features were hidden behind his cloth facemask.

"Your team isn't in the area," Goza informed. "They just left you behind?"

The blonde's head tilted. "In a manner of speaking. Why are you tracking my team? It is a little late to try and get a scroll from us."

"We don't want or need your stupid scroll," Shikaro spat in distaste. Nothing was ever simple. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't dismiss the mystery of an Uzumaki in Konoha.

Kane sent a warning glance at Shikaro before looking to the blonde. "Earlier, we heard the proctor call you 'Uzumaki'. We'd like to ask if that's your real name."

"Interesting," the blonde murmured. "But information, as they say, is power. Good day to you, Whirlpool nin."

"Wait right ther-" Shikaro began, signaling Goza to prepare to neutralize the teen, only for the blonde to bow and disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"Bunshin," Kane surmised. "A distraction?"

"Or to gather information," Goza added in a rare moment of thoughtfulness as he knelt in front of the spot where the clone had last been standing, inspecting the disturbed earth. "It was a solid clone."

As the doors of the tower closed behind them, Naruto turned back to give a final look at the forest. "_So they are curious…_" What did it all mean?

They were awarded the chance to rest for the remainder of their time, which was a little less than a day. The Hokage had debriefed them almost immediately upon entering, worried for them as well as checking his suspicions regarding Sasuke.

"Kakashi, please take Sasuke and Sakura to get looked over by the mednin." Unfortunately, in the precious few hours left, little more than a day, the sealing would have to wait. It would doubtless put the duck-haired boy out of commission for days. Too long for him to compete. And with Orochimaru's threat…removing him was out of the question. For now, they would watch him, and not take drastic action unless the corrosive nature of the seal began to take hold.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the cycloptic jonin agreed, though his worry was more focused on the wellbeing of his male student.

Once they were gone, the elderly kage turned his gaze to the young blonde. "Now that your team is gone, what else do you have to add to your report, Naruto-kun?"

"Very little, Hokage-ojisama," he answered. "I was detained by a snake summon until I could rejoin the others."

"Yes," the old man agreed, prompting him to continue.

"I engaged Orochimaru and he defeated me."

"I take it he's the reason the beautiful day was interrupted by a certain lightning jutsu?" the Hokage asked grimly, bringing to light the fact that he knew the boy had used an attack that he had practically forbid him to.

Naruto's face, what little could be seen, winced in reminder of the trial they'd gone through.

"And your arm?" The blonde held back a wince. Sarutobi had indeed noticed the way he had been favoring his right arm. The sleeve was decimated up to the elbow due to the explosive discharge ripping it to shreds, so the only thing hiding the severely burned limb from sight were the bandages wrapped tightly around it. From the moment he had entered the tower, it had remained in a relaxed position, the hand hanging half in his pants pocket.

"The situation required I use it."

"Is that all?" Naruto frowned. The old man was fishing, but for what?

"Hokage-ojisan," he began in a low voice. "Do you know of a connection between myself and Orochimaru?"

"…"

He decided to play a gambit. "Did you know that Orochimaru was the one?"

The great leader of Konoha wore a pained look, trying not to buckle under the young man's steely gaze. "…I did," he answered finally.

Naruto didn't react in anger. There wasn't any reason to. He trusted the old man's judgment. If he had chosen not to tell him, then there must've been a valid reason. "Why?"

Hiruzen looked up into the boy's soulful eyes. "My boy, you already had so much on your plate, and still do. I was…worried-"

"That I might finally snap?" The Hokage flinched, at the thought of it, not the tone.

It was the blonde who broke the silence. "I told you, ojisan. I'll never break." Hiruzen's bitter laugh came out weak and tired.

"There was another…complication," the blonde began, not wanting his guardian for so many years to continue in his somber thoughts. Reaching down he pulled up the hem of his shirt. "Orochimaru placed a seal over the master seal." The old man nearly dropped his pipe in his mad scramble around the table.

Not waiting to be asked, he channeled chakra, what little he could. The master seal, the Shiki Fuin, came into focus: a spiral surrounded by a double-tetragram seal. A moment further, and five more markings appeared in a pentagon shape over periphery of the exterior of the seal.

Reading over the symbols carefully, Hiruzen let out a sigh of relief. They may be contradicting the flow of chakra, but the overall integrity of the seal was intact, performing nominally. "It's crude. Definitely Orochimaru," he mused. "Seals were never really his forte. A five-pronged seal. An odd numbered seal over an even numbered one…"

"Hence my less than optimal chakra levels," the blonde sighed before lowering the shirt back down.

"If you give me a second I can have that gone, and-"

"NO!" The hokage blanched a little at the worry in the boy's voice.

"My boy, you know as well as I that with the seal affecting you-"

"Yes, ojisan," the blonde agreed, answering quickly so as to dissuade him. "But, for now, it has more benefits than drawbacks."

Hiruzen looked at the blonde, confusion written on his face. "How so?" Scratching his short beard, "It limits not only the flow of Kyubi's chakra into you, but also that of your own chakra."

"Which could be seen as beneficial."

Intrigued, Hiruzen motioned for the boy to continue. "When I was knocked out by Orochimaru, I was brought to Kyubi's chamber. When I finally came around enough for us to converse, she apprised me of my condition. When she mentioned the handicap placed on both her chakra and mine…a thought came to mind."

Curious now, the 'Professor' as he'd been called waited on bated breath. He may be old but he still loved to learn, and it always intrigued him, the relationship between the boy and the demon he held, as well as the idea of a second, tertiary consciousness that could assist the primary one. It boggled the mind. "Yes?" he impatiently urged like a child. Naruto's brow rose, and the kage, catching himself, coughed and straightened back up. "Please, continue."

"With the seal in place, my available chakra capacity is horribly reduced to, say, around high Chunin. So, we believe now would be an excellent time to revisit chakra control."

It took a moment for it all to fit into place, but slowly an appreciative smirk spread across the aged man's face. "Very clever, Naruto-kun." The boy's chakra control would always be far behind his capacity, especially at the rate the latter grew. Yet, he'd managed to find a rather unique silver lining to help him, and from an intended hindrance. He was smart, oh yes, but that in no way matched his cleverness.

"If you would leave the seal on, I could train my chakra control, and maybe recoup lost time."

Hiruzen frowned. "Naruto-kun, the preliminaries are tomorrow. You know this."

The blonde nodded. "I will just have to play my cards carefully, Hokage-ojisama."

Taking a pull on his pipe, he considered the situation carefully. His right arm was out of the question, he could tell that just from quick observation, and he looked…tired… More so than he should be. "Are you quite certain this is the route you wish to take? The last few days have been harsh to you, Orochimaru specifically. I would not blame you for retiring from the test."

It didn't even occur to him after the blonde left, that it would have been a good time to mention other…issues. Namely a certain Whirlpool kunoichi.

"I would like to congratulate you all on making through the forest," the Hokage admonished. "First, I would like to explain the true purpose behind these tests." And he went on to describe how the Chunin Exam was actually a way for villages to showcase their talents. It was never truly about promotion. The main idea was for villages to 'peacefully' vie for…bragging rights. Though he worded it differently.

The appearance of one Gekkou Hayate signaled the beginning of the preliminaries. That is, once the uninformed genin calmed down. They hadn't expected having to fight so soon after leaving the forest.

Privately, Naruto was disappointed in his fellow genin. Surely, they could understand how the exams worked?

"**Not everyone reads the reports for the exams,**" his sister reminded him.

In the far right of the lineup, the two Whirlpool teams stood at relaxed attention. The team to question his clone arrived not long after Team 7, but the other Whirlpool team took substantially longer. They had made it out of the forest with minimal difficulty, but with only minutes to spare. Though the moment Hayate asked for those who wished to dropout, Shipa had been one of the first to do so. The team had wandered into a nest of massive centipedes, and she had come out of it sporting a bite on her upper thigh. She was delirious, and barely able to stand as it was. So with a remorseful look to her teammates and fellow Whirlpool nin, she walked off with all the dignity she could manage, taken away by Kushina-sensei as she knew where everything was in the village. Namely the hospital. That she had refused treatment as long as she had, while remaining upright, was a testament to her strength.

As Kabuto walked by, Naruto felt uneasy. Something didn't sit quite right. He could still sense something…off…with the teen. And with the events that had occurred in the forest, he was beginning to wonder.

'_Who are you really, Yakushi-san?_'

So caught up was he, he almost missed hearing Hayate announce the beginning of the preliminaries. Tilting his head, he looked up to the board, watching it roll through names like a slot machine.

"First match"

AN: Catch you next time.


	13. It Just Never Ends

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did, as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

AN/ I just want to apologize for the late, really late, release of this chapter, and thank you for your patience. Overall, the experience was like trying to piss out an intact pineapple. Please forgive the exaggerated imagery. With this out, I'm hoping I can actually focus on my other stories again, as fretting over this has been a year-long distraction. Anyway, here it is.

* * *

Chapter 13: It Just Never Ends

* * *

There wasn't a lot to say about the first few matches. For most of them, the outcome was readily discernable…to those who knew what to look for.

Sasuke's match was on the fences though. His opponent was Yoroi Akado, one of Kabuto's teammates. He expressed the oddest ability to absorb his opponent's chakra. Dangerous considering the fact that Sasuke's was wildly fluctuating. The curse mark was inhibiting his ability to draw and utilize chakra. In fact, it looked like it was about to take over, too. That is, until he actually managed to repress its dark influence on his own.

Credit to the Uchiha for being able to resist it.

Though Kakashi's whispered threat involving disqualification should he use it may have played a part.

The finish was…questionable. Sasuke won, utilizing a move he'd adapted from seeing Lee in their brief fight days earlier. Gai and Lee both wore guarded expressions, obviously none too pleased.

There was no greater insult to the pair than to rip off a technique. Kakashi's Sharingan was always a touchy subject with Gai.

The second match was between Shino and Zaku Abume of Sound, the genin Sasuke had almost ripped the arms off of. For some, it wasn't too hard to see who would win. While ninja were always ones for trickery, Shino was a very shrewd individual who never walked into a fight without a plan…and several traps up his coat sleeves.

It was a rather disappointing fight. While it was a brilliant show of the bug user's prowess in battle, Zaku's fighting left a lot to be desired. He'd pulled a surprise, being able to use his wounded arm, but that was all, and even that proved fruitless.

Naruto had expected as much. There were two people in his class that were worthy of fighting against, and with caution, and those were Shino and Shikamaru. They weren't brawlers, but their cunning minds were dangerous. Shino was a master of traps, and Shikamaru an on the spot strategist.

And Team Gai were all worthy adversaries in their respective fields.

Tenten was dangerous while still within reach of her weapons.

Neji, though a bit conceited, was skilled in his family's taijutsu.

But of the three, Lee was the most dangerous in his eyes. Not just for his near insane level of physical power, but for his fearless courage and unbreakable will.

He truly admired that in the taijutsu user.

And those were just the people he knew from Konoha. The foreign genin would require some study.

Once the medics had hauled away the screaming form of Zaku, taking his explosion-severed arm too, the third match was announced.

* * *

Kankuro of Suna vs. Kane Uzumaki

* * *

A few brows rose amongst the Konoha nin, many looking in his direction, but he did his best not to notice. The majority of his focus was on the match before him.

Kankuro seemed reluctant, but it was more like he didn't deem her worthy than anything else. Kane just grinned at her teammates and marched down the stairs.

Already, Naruto was analyzing them. The way they stood. Their arsenals, from what he knew and could see.

Kankuro was a puppet user, as Ibiki had not so subtly exposed in the exam. They were a dangerous sort, specializing in poisons and unpredictable strategies. If he had to, he'd put Kankuro in the same category as Shino. Deceptive and dangerous.

But Kane, from what he could see, was either a weapon user, judging by the scrolls, or ninjutsu specialist. Either would give her fair odds so long as she was careful.

She opened the match with a pair of kunai, each with an attached explosive tag. By the smaller than expected explosion, yet high level of smoke, Naruto would have to guess that they were simple incendiary tags. More flash than bang.

A rather crude looking puppet in a cloak came barreling at her from out of the smoke, its body a mass of glistening blades.

"_What?_" Naruto wondered. Why would a puppet user go for such an obvious… Trap.

The rickety puppet walked right into the concealed explosive tags. Higher yield from how it was blown into the wall.

Kane watched the smoke apprehensively.

"_Ah, very clever,_" Naruto murmured.

"**Indeed,**" Kyubi added, moderately impressed in the little brat.

Kane was taken by surprise by the kunai slicing across her calf. From within the puppet's cloak, Kankuro emerged, smirking as he could already see his poison taking effect.

Naruto shook his head in disappointment. "_As a rule, even when destroyed, never lose sight of a puppet user's puppet._"

That wasn't to say that Kane wasn't strong, but just that she had no prior experience facing a puppet user.

Okay, he wasn't one to rag on others, but the fourth match was utterly embarrassing. Sakura vs. Ino. There was no way. Looking at them…fight…he found himself rather embarrassed for the village.

To Sakura's credit, she used the small scale fire jutsu he'd taught her to temporarily blind Ino, but the attempt at victory was ruined when the blonde trapped her. From there…

It ended in a tie, though, for the life of him, he would have given anything to forget such a match.

The following match was far more interesting. That is, unlike the previous one, it actually displayed some skill.

* * *

Temari of Suna vs. Tenten

* * *

He had practiced with Team Gai on multiple occasions. So, he knew just how good Tenten was with weapons. Eyes shifting to the blonde Suna teen, he grimaced. She was a wind user. It was easy to see by the fan on her back. It could be misdirection…but he doubted it.

His worries about her skill level turned out to be true as every attempt by Tenten to get a strike in proved ineffective. Few could see it. Her counterattacks utilizing her fan were so swift. It took a great deal of practice and strength to be able to move a fan that fast.

Luckily, before she could cause the bun-haired girl any serious harm, Lee stepped in. She landed painfully on Temari's fan, the hard metal severely damaging her spine. The blonde's smirk was sign enough of her intentions as she threw the prone genin away, to land on her own weapons, when the green clad genin leapt into action.

Naruto felt a swell of pride in Lee for standing up for his friends like that, and in Gai for his unwavering belief in his pupils. Looking to his own team, he sweat-dropped. Kakashi was still gone, most likely sealing Sasuke, and Sakura had yet to regain consciousness. Yay team spirit.

The next match was Shikamaru vs. the Oto genin Kin.

Not that he was trying to insult her skill or anything, but this match was in the bag.

Shikamaru, while lazy, was just that good.

Hana Seppu vs. Dosu Kinuta

The female Whirlpool nin grinned viciously. "It's about time."

"Try not to maim him," her Jonin sensei sighed. It wasn't that she liked to hurt others. It's just…she would get carried away without knowing it. And it wouldn't look good for a Whirlpool genin to gut a Sound genin in a simple rank exam.

"You know me, sensei. I can't help it if my toys break easily."

* * *

Anko sneezed. "_Ooh, my crazy-sense in tingling._"

* * *

"Hana Seppu of Whirlpool, Dosu Kinuta of Sound," Hayate began, breaking off to cough. "Are you ready?"

It had been slow at first, but pieces were starting to come together. Dosu was finally starting to understand the orders he and his team had received from Lord Orochimaru. They had been meant to test the Uchiha, to see if he would survive the curse placed upon him. He wanted the Uchiha. But now, his orders stood for him to make it to the main exam itself. Again, to fight Sasuke, and draw out more of that dark power.

"You betcha," Hana grinned cockily.

"I'm ready."

- (Sometimes the divider function doesn't work, sorry.)

From the start, Hana had come off strong. Very strong. Bearing both her short swords in reverse grips, she'd combined that hold with a twisting taijutsu, combining slashes with her punches. She'd cut many slashes in the bandaged Sound nin, and he'd been on the defensive the whole time. He was obviously weakest in taijutsu, making her a difficult opponent.

Then he'd drawn out that annoying device on his arm.

Anyone with enhanced hearing cringed. But Hana caught the worst of it, the sound waves bringing on disorientation and upsetting her sense of balance and coordination. Surprisingly, she'd fought it with some success, but her ability faded the more he pumped it on.

Until, finally…

"Hana Seppu is no longer able to fight. The winner is Dosu Kinuta."

Shaken as she was from the audio assault, Hana was still capable enough to swear and curse her head off in defiance of the judgment, even when she couldn't stand upright.

Her sensei had had to come pick her up off the floor after she'd flashed a kunai at the medical ninja.

* * *

Kiba Inuzuka vs. Naruto Uzumaki

* * *

The remaining Whirlpool nin looked in his direction. Apparently, they had forewarned their sensei of this interesting development, for, while not surprised, he gave the blonde a look of cautious appraisal.

Kiba whooped in triumph, already able to taste victory. Akamaru, almost always the supporter of his master, was less than enthusiastic about the match. His senses picked up on the strange aura surrounding the blonde. Of the two, his master and the blonde, it was obvious who the alpha was, and he was embarrassed to know that it wasn't Kiba.

"What'd I miss?" Naruto turned to Kakashi. The cyclopean ninja was leaning against the wall as if he'd been observing the matches the whole time. As always, his nose was quite thoroughly stuck to the inside of his book.

Sighing, Naruto walked slowly to the stairs. Kiba, unable to restrain his joy at the easy win, chose to leap right over the railing.

Taking it all one step at a time, the inscrutable blonde strode casually down the stairs, and out onto the worn stone floor.

"Heh, taking your time?" Kiba scoffed. "I get it. You don't want to face me so you're stretching it out." Akamaru wasn't as gleeful, but he would serve his master faithfully, even in a losing battle.

Cocking a brow at the ninken user, "A wise man knows not to rush into battle when it isn't necessary."

"Hn, whatever. Back at the academy you barely spoke at all. You almost never participated in spars." Sneering, he showed his prominent canines. "You ready to get schooled?"

Sighing to himself, the blonde stood at the ready. "Very well."

* * *

"You must know Naruto has no chance against Kiba," Kurenai informed Kakashi.

The Jonin in question merely glanced at the pair in the arena. He may be generally apathetic towards the blonde, but he was still a skilled Jonin. He could tell that the blonde hid a great deal.

"We'll see," he countered wistfully.

He was sure the teen would at least give a good showing.

Now, what page had he been reading…

* * *

"Ready?" Hayate asked, looking to either participant. Kiba gave an enthusiastic affirmative, but Naruto just nodded in quiet agreement. "Alright…begin!"

Standing there in his worn attire, Naruto held his left hand aloft, beckoning his opponent forward.

Smirking widely, "This'll barely be a warmup for me. Ready, Akamaru?" The pup yipped to the affirmative. The feral teen hunched over, and the ninken scrambled onto his back. Forming a few handseals, "Beast Mimicry Jutsu!" A cloud of smoke enveloped himself and Akamaru. It cleared a moment later to reveal a pair of Kibas, each far more feral than the original.

"_One's Kiba, the other is Akamaru._" Naruto knew of the technique. He'd seen a few Inuzuka use it before. It increased the power of the shinobi and ninken, as well as making it harder to distinguish which was the shinobi. It was also used primarily with…

The Kibas launched their joint attack. "TSUGA!"

Performing midair rolls and quick acrobatics, he dodged the flying bladed twisters, sending a few kunai and shuriken after them. Tsuga was a fairly dangerous technique. Simply enough, the Inuzuka relied on speed to increase the power behind their assault. And by working in conjunction with their partner, or partners in some cases, the ninken users would come at their opponent from multiple avenues at once.

The upside was that Kiba was far less experienced with the technique than his elder kin.

In their fourth pass he heard a light clatter. Looking down, he barely registered the smoke pellets before they exploded, smothering him in thick plumes of smoke.

He needed to go on the offensive. But with his arm in its current state…he had to be smart about it. Already, options washed through him.

He felt as well as heard the incoming pair of attacks.

Flipping his body, he rolled in the air, parallel to the ground, and slid between their attacks. As they passed, he slipped out a few more kunai, lobbing them in the general direction he expected them to land in.

The pair easily evaded the projectiles, the Inuzuka sneering at the pathetic showing. "Heh, what's the matter?" Kiba asked from beyond the smoke. "I mean, I expected better than this. You're not even putting up a fight." Smoke clearing just a bit, the Inuzuka growled slightly at what he saw.

Kiba, though a bit dense, had noticed something.

"You're not even using your right arm? Showoff," Kiba growled in anger at the insolence.

* * *

Up in the stands, a few others noted the same. The blonde had not used his right arm since the match began. "Is your student really that arrogant?" Kurenai asked Kakashi. She hadn't ever really met the blonde before, so had nothing to judge him by. "He'll need to be serious if he thinks he can beat Kiba."

Kakashi shrugged, but said nothing.

Kurenai, though a fairly fresh Jonin, had a good deal more experience than Kiba. Enough so that she noticed the odd manner in which the blonde teen had been moving. Was he choosing not to use his arm, or…

"That's not it," Sakura murmured, mostly to herself.

"Sakura?"

She looked up at her sensei. "Sensei…I don't think he can use his right arm." Those that were in hearing range waited, interests piqued, for an explanation. Sakura's eyes lost focus as she remembered the fight just a day prior. "That guy, the one we fought in the forest, Naruto used a jutsu against him."

"…" Kakashi waited expectantly, lazy eye actually looking from the book.

"Whatever it was…I've never seen anything like it, sensei."

* * *

Kiba's hearing was similar to that of his partner, enhanced due to the partner relationship his clan had with their ninken. So it wasn't too difficult to believe that he could hear the conversations going on only a few dozen meters away.

Eyes shining with mirth, he leered at his opponent. "Wait…you can't use your arm?" His stunned disbelief melted almost immediately into a crow of laughter. "Oh, I don't believe it! Hahahahah!" Turning to Hayate, "Why don't you just declare me the winner, and save us all some time?"

There were a few people who couldn't help but shake their heads, physically or mentally, at the feral boy. Bad move. Out of most anything, overconfidence killed more shinobi than any other weapon ever could.

Slipping once more into his one-armed stance, "Let's find out then, Inuzuka-san."

Sniffing, Kiba grinned. "Let's go, Akamaru." The two tensed. "Tsuga!"

Pulling some kunai, Naruto leveled a streak of them at the incoming duo. Akamaru, as far as he could sense, passed him first. He sent a trio of shuriken after him as well. Unfortunately, unlike the first time, he did not escape unscathed. Kiba broadsided him…hitting his damaged arm.

He saw white.

The blonde was thrown clear across the arena floor.

* * *

Hinata wrung the fringe of her coat between her hands. Naruto wasn't doing well. From the beginning, she'd noticed that his chakra was low. Low for him. For any other genin, they would be at full strength several times over, but she knew him, knew his chakra. She would always remember the times she'd seen his chakra system. It was always like a sun glowed beneath his skin, he had so much chakra. But now, it was like the celestial orb had been petered down to a candle.

"_Naruto…_"

She had always seen the blonde as a source of immeasurable strength. He was unstoppable. But seeing him like this, so weak…it scared her.

"…_You can do it, Naruto…_" she mentally urged, too shy to broadcast that thought aloud.

* * *

Naruto clutched his side openly. The Inuzuka had aimed for his arm. A sound move, but still…

He could feel fire searing through his nerves.

Standing, trying not to shake from the blinding pain, he frowned at the Inuzuka. Kiba just grinned back before he and Akamaru came at him again.

Blue eyes narrowed. Unclenching his good fist, a handful of smoke pellets fell to the ground, the dark mass of smoke exploding outward.

* * *

"What? Why'd he do that?" Ino asked. "Kiba can still find him, and now he can't see."

Asuma smiled weakly around his cigarette. "That's the whole point, Ino."

"Huh?"

"Just watch." As soon as the Kiba twisters entered the smoke, there was a sickening sound of contact. One Kiba kept on moving, but the other remained in the smoke.

"Very good," Gai praised.

"Sensei, I cannot see," Lee pouted, but already the smoke was fading. And, soon enough, silhouettes came into focus. Rather, one large and oddly shaped one.

Kiba.

Naruto.

The latter with his left arm outstretched.

The former wrapped around the arm which was buried in his gut.

Gai smiled. "Taiho Shouha." Naruto seemed to relax, his body coming back into a loose stance. "Otherwise known as the Palm Wave."

"What's that?" asked Sakura.

Kakashi answered for Gai. "It's an advanced taijutsu move. It uses the opponent's momentum against them." Book aside for now, he gave the match a more critical eye. "It's not an attacking move. More…a counterattack."

"Yosh!" Gai cried enthusiastically. "Correct, my eternal rival! He braced his entire body to accept the young Inuzuka's attack. With the arm outstretched in such a way, the legs well planted, it was the same as running straight into a steel beam planted in bedrock! YOSH! WELL DONE, NARUTO-KUN!" There were two targets, and hitting either one would have been a major blow to the pair, so he hadn't needed to seek Kiba out. Though it would seem that luck had favored him, allowing him this shot at the Inuzuka.

* * *

Kiba was thrown, figuratively, from the force of the blow. Stumbling back, he forced his vision to clear. He was still seeing spots. "Heh, nice…try," he gasped, struggling to regain his breath. Akamaru returned to his master's side, and urged him back to his feet with whimpers and growls.

Openly holding his arm, "Give up, Inuzuka-san," Naruto announced.

Kiba blinked. "Are you serious? After only one decent hit you actually expect me to back down? What 're you playin' at?"

"I have you surrounded."

* * *

Those who knew how tricky the blonde really was looked more closely at the field, discerning his words. Tenten was the first to see it. "Heheh, clever," the flower of Team 9 chuckled.

"What is it, Tenten?" Lee asked eagerly. "I see nothing. What does Naruto-kun mean?"

"Exactly what he said, Lee," Neji answered with the slightest hint of respect. "The fool is surrounded."

* * *

Standing straight, Naruto raised his hand. "As I said, Inuzuka-san: I have you surrounded." Raising his good arm, he let off a crisp snap of his fingers. Not a second later, Kiba tensed at the feel of weapons aimed at his vitals, and Akamaru's as well.

"But-"

In answer to the unvoiced question, the weary blonde drew a kunai, lazily flipping it into the air. In a miniscule burst of smoke, it turned into a clone of said blonde. Kiba's eyes widened.

The kunai.

"Shadow clones really are a wonderful thing, aren't they?" Naruto asked aimlessly. "To create an actual copy of oneself…but that is simply the tip of the iceberg. Did you know that?"

Kiba stayed silent, seething as well as trying to absorb just how he'd lost.

"The reason the shadow clone technique is considered forbidden is the massive chakra cost, dividing the users chakra evenly between them and the clones, for that reason there are few people who even bother using the technique, let alone know it. It is so costly because, not only are the clones solid, but they bare the imprinted consciousness of the creator."

Pretty much every genin had wide eyes at that, though only a few recognized what it meant.

"However, to a master of the shadow clone these costs no longer apply. To name just a few of its capabilities, the user can choose exactly how much chakra is put into each and every clone, and, in this case, can form them into weapons themselves, but, as I have iterated, most importantly-"

The clone directly behind Kiba leaned forward pressing his weapon into the skin of his neck, "We can think independently of one another," it finished in a whisper, digging a weapon into the skin of his neck.

"Kiba Inuzuka is unable to continue," Hayate interrupted. "Naruto Uzumaki is the winner."

* * *

"Whoa."

The sole whirlpool Jonin present couldn't help but agree, if silently. The boy was handicapped, and still pulled off a win. But it was his use of shadow clones that was scary. Kushina had mentioned them, even using them herself, but did so sparingly. It was a costly clone technique. It took mid-Jonin level reserves to even attempt without fear of killing oneself.

To use them so cavalierly… That meant the kid's reserves had to be massive.

And then there was the way he used them. That alone made the Jonin shudder. He'd never heard or thought of such ways to use a clone.

* * *

"But how?" Ino asked, exasperated. "How could he see Kiba's attack in all that smoke?"

Shikamaru shook his head. He would let this go, but if the blonde girl wasn't answered, she'd bitch until she got one. It was easier just to answer early. "Because he doesn't need to see Kiba," he supplied.

Gai grinned. "Indeed, my young Leaf genin. In our training sessions, we have worked to combat hindered senses. Our youthful blonde can sense an incoming attack! YOSH! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!"

"AS AM I, MY ETERNAL RIVAL!" Lee echoed, crying rivulets.

* * *

Sakura turned to Kakashi. "Sensei, I don't understand. What just happened?"

Kakashi, while also intrigued by the battle, understood a bit more than the pink-haired genin. "As you know, when a shinobi uses a jutsu enough times, becoming familiar with it, they can use it with fewer handsigns, and sometimes without any." This was basic jutsu theory, and it wasn't taught as in depth in the academy as it should be. "The idea is that after enough uses, the mind and body remember how to mold the chakra on their own, reacting with a thought. The upside is that you can launch an attack silently and quickly, but the downside is that by taking the hand signs out of the jutsu it is less refined and the chakra requirement is increased." He scanned the field. "What your teammate has just done is…remarkable," he admitted a bit grudgingly. "With his reserves being massive even when he was a young child, Naruto could never have possibly learned the academy taught insubstantial clone, and, ironically, that same handicap is what allowed him to learn the Shadow clone technique so easily. Apparently, he's used it so often that he can form them on a whim." Most Jonin didn't bother much with the solid clone technique as it required too much chakra to form even one, but Naruto, realizing the potential of the jutsu, had taken the rarely used technique to a level most could never even dream of achieving. He doubted anyone below the level of a Sannin could use the technique so cavalierly. "And shaped it in such a way that none could have expected."

* * *

The Sandaime had to give a show befitting his rank of kage, but inside he beamed at the young man. It wouldn't surprise him if he kept a few dozen on hand at all times in the form of kunai or shuriken.

Despite all he had said, there were other advantages that the boy had not mentioned. On purpose.

Few still knew just how far he had come in mastering the underused technique.

His father would be proud. His mother… He internally flinched at that thought. It was only a matter of time until that little explosive note went off.

He wanted to blame it all on Danzo, but, with or without him, that Haruno woman had certainly left a potential bomb in their laps. When Kushina and Naruto did finally meet… It wasn't so much Kushina he was worried about. He worried specifically about how Naruto would react.

He had faith in the boy. He would never do anything to intentionally harm someone else, unless they intended to do him or anyone else harm, but… He had had a rough time as of late.

* * *

Limping only slightly, Naruto made his way back up to the gallery.

It was bad enough that his healing, in the case of his more extreme wounds, was inhibited. Now he had some fresh ones, too.

Barely making it to the stairs, the proctor called out the next combatants: Choji Akimichi vs Doru Sinek. He recognized that as being the name of one of the whirlpool nin, but was too battered to really give it much thought. The stairs ending, he stepped onto the dais. He was aware of a few odd looks, mainly from those who'd been in the same graduating class as him.

In passing Team 8, he was stopped by Hinata. "N-Naruto-kun," her light voice coaxing him to a stop. Pausing, he turned to meet eyes with the ever shy bluenette.

"Hinata-san?"

Her tongue failing her, eyes clenched shut she brought her hands forward, a small jar held aloft in her fingers.

"What is this?" he asked calmly, genuinely confused.

"It's an ointment," Kurenai supplied for her blushing student. "Hinata makes it for us. We use it after practices on cuts and bruises." She smiled respectfully down at the boy, not that he was all that much shorter than herself. She wasn't too proud to admit that she had underestimated him…greatly. She wondered, covertly glancing at her blushing student, if perhaps they had all been witness to a little of what Hinata had seen all along.

Involuntarily taking a moment to stare at the cream filled jar, bewildered by the small cylinder, he caught the girl's eyes, meeting them. "Thank you, Hinata-san." Discreetly tilting his head to her, he backed up to the wall and slowly lowered himself down. Pulling up his pants leg, he exposed bruised flesh. Normally, he would have healed in a matter of minutes, probably seconds in the midst of battle. As it were, he had a large, black and yellow bruise left over from his tussle with Orochimaru. One of many. Unscrewing the lid, he immediately picked up a minty scent, and judging by the exceedingly pale green shade to the ointment, the source was as natural as the cream itself.

Slathering a portion of cream over his shin, he inwardly marveled at the soothing sensation that relieved the aching in his limb. A nearly invisible stream of smoke issued from the treated wound.

Only those that paid close attention, relatively few as most were watching the ongoing fight, bore witness to the rapidly healing patch of skin, the bruise fading away. Its healing properties were even greater than advertised. He could feel youki, what little was circulating, gathering to the medicated areas.

Spurred by this development, he continued to apply the cream to various bruises and cuts. He let out an almost inaudible sigh.

Furtively glancing back at the blonde at various moments, Hinata inwardly glowed, hearing his low, content sigh.

* * *

Screwing the lid back on the miracle salve, he stood back up, somewhat less painfully, just in time to hear the announcement of the Whirlpool nin's victory.

Winner: Doru Sinek

He knew Choji well. In the occasional game of shogi with Shikamaru, the admittedly round boy would sit with them, watching in silence, chip munching notwithstanding. The young Akimichi had done nothing wrong by him.

Choji wasn't the strongest of the gathered. It was in no way intended as an insult. Just that there were quite a few powerful genin present in the exam, and, really, of the rookies, himself included, none should have been allowed to take the exam so soon. He was a survivor, one thing he had to thank his rough upbringing for, but the others weren't. At least, not in the same way. The problem that lay in all nine of them was that while they were not overtly lacking in skill, experience was another matter.

And from what his clone had seen in the momentary meeting of the Whirlpool team, they all had more field experience than them.

He'd immediately pegged Sinek as a tactician, allowing for the possibility of it being a cover for another specialty should one exist. Judging by the field, Sinek was a fan of poking and prodding his opponents. Taunting their perceived weak points until they reacted. Unless this was a onetime thing. The only sign of any attacks were from Choji, and he'd simply burned through his chakra in each and every attempt. He'd missed the battle, but more than likely the youth was fairly swift, dodging Choji and letting him tire himself out before moving in to.

And he could see that Sinek was only moderately winded from his evasions.

He would need to talk to someone about how the match went in entirety.

He wouldn't put it past the boy, smart as he guessed he was, to have hid his real preference.

"Poor Choji," Hinata whispered.

"Do not worry for him too much, Hinata-san," he assured. "Akimichi-san knows well that it is better to face an opponent and fail in an exam than to do so in the field and not come out alive. He will hopefully take this as a learning experience."

Hinata's brow knit, but she nodded in agreement.

"That is if his sensei becomes motivated enough to push him." Covertly, he met eyes with Kurenai. She was only moderately surprised that he seemed to know she was dating Asuma. A subtle asking that she give her boyfriend a push to be more serious towards his team's training. Fair enough. Message received.

* * *

Misumi Tsurugi vs. Shikaro Uzumaki

* * *

The Whirlpool nin's lips twitched into a playful smirk, his dark eyes gleaming. Hands behind his head, he shuffled down to the field, just as wordlessly as the Leaf nin.

Neither one seemed to really be in any hurry, though there was an easily sensed eagerness at finally having a shot.

Coughing muffled through his hand, the sickly Jonin sent a weary fleeting look between the genin hopefuls as they squared off. "You understand the rules?" Both nodded. "Good. Misumi Tsurugi of the Leaf vs. Shikaro Uzumaki of Whirlpool. Genin, are you ready?" Again, they nodded in assent. Coughing again, "…Begin!"

Misumi was the first to launch an attack. Not with any jutsu, but with evasive movements and a kunai.

* * *

Naruto refrained from openly grimacing at Misumi's attack. Not the kunai, no, his most recent one. The pair had simply been playing, testing skills and defenses. Typical. But, once he'd gotten a good hold, Misumi…bent. His body grew sinewy and snake-like as he started wrapping around the mildly startled swordsman.

It wasn't something he took far.

Despite its length, the sword was drawn and in Shikaro's hands in a flash, and was already in a descending arc. Misume barely retracted his arm before it was lopped off. Not that he didn't lose some skin over it. He now sported a grimace courtesy of the slash along his arm.

"You should know not to get too close to a swordsman," Shikaro chided playfully. Bringing his blade up, he tapped it lazily against his shoulder. "That's the kind of mistake that'll cost you," he grinned, "an arm and a leg."

* * *

Shikaro may not have been his genin, but Miro Gul and his genin had worked alongside Kushina's genin more than once. The only present Whirlpool Jonin groaned before palming his face.

Shikaro's remaining teammate wasn't far behind. "Every time," he huffed brusquely. The swordsman of the team had a rather annoying habit of…playing…with his prey.

He was like a kid with a new toy when it came to swordplay.

Any advantage, control, Misume had vanished like a buffet around a hungry Akimichi. Now that he had revealed his ace, he was completely in the open and the younger genin was picking his defense to pieces.

* * *

Less than a minute later:

"We done?" Shikaro snickered, his blade poised just shy of relieving him of his prized possessions.

* * *

At the match's cessation, Naruto made a mental note to watch the supposed Leaf nin. First, Kabuto, and now Misume. There was something distinctly off about that team, their silver-haired member in particular. There was coincidence, and then there were facts that came out and spit in your face.

* * *

But the questions would have to wait. Seeing the latest pairing, his eyes went to the young woman standing just next to him. She was ashen, and looked like she was about to become violently ill. She managed not to shake as much as her body wanted to, but her knuckles were white on the railing.

The reason was simple.

Neji Hyuga vs. Hinata Hyuga

He had trained with Team 9. He had borne witness to many moments that showed the branch family Hyuga's opinion regarding the main house. It didn't take a genius in psychology to figure out that his rage at the main house had been redirected to the soft-spoken girl.

And, witness to a moment of outspoken hatred, the Hyuga had said as much.

Given the chance, an opportunity to lash out without direct intervention, like in an official rank exam…he would doubtless take the…golden opportunity…and deliver self-satisfying justice.

Neji would not be out to win this. He would try to harm her.

As repugnant as his actions may be…why did it feel particular sour to him?

Not quite sure of the reason behind the action, he placed a reassuring hand on the demure Hyuga's shoulder. She almost jumped out of her skin, but she calmed readily enough. Twitching, she jerked her head in a shaky nod. "I-I'm going."

* * *

Pulling his normally abnormally stoic student to the side, Gai took him by the shoulders so he could meet his whole attention. "Neji, as your sensei, I want you to promise me that you won't let your anger with the Main house effect your judgment in this fight."

It was creepy just how calm the teen was, when one took into account his history with the Hyuga Main family and the just now released pairing. "…I promise." But Gai didn't release him immediately, instead choosing to look deeper.

Finally though, his arms retracted and he nodded solemnly. "Good. Fight well, my student."

* * *

Gai wasn't the only one conflicted about the pairing. Nothing could be done about it, but the worry remained. The division of the Hyuga clan into the two lines wasn't new information by anyone's standards. It was fairly common knowledge that they were separated into the Main family, the ruling caste, and the Branch family, the servants, the lesser.

For those that knew the whole truth, most of them ninjas, it was a somewhat sour topic, depending on just who you were talking to.

Naruto was one of those people. He knew of the Caged Bird. It was lauded as the Hyuga clans answer to protecting their bloodline from being stolen. Should a Hyuga be taken, nothing would be gained. They flaunted it…but there were other…less spoken of effects to the seal. It was a collar, a seal that utterly subjugated the Branch family.

With but a handseal, the user could inflict horrendous pain upon the bearer. And, how ironic, that none in the Main family sported the accessory. Something that particular group used to hold themselves up, over the marked individuals.

But for all that arrogance…Hinata Hyuga had surprised him. He remembered, not too long before entering the academy, before _that_ day, of seeing a little girl being bullied by a gang of freshman academy students. She had been like a perfect little china doll. He'd missed whatever'd happened, but seeing her, apologizing profusely, crying, while they used their feet to shove her back into the dirt over and over…it had set his young blood boiling.

He'd driven them off, and gotten a week's worth of increased attacks as a result…but it'd had been worth it. They'd ganged up on him, but he'd still gotten some hits of his own in.

The girl had been taken away by another of her family. He doubted anyone noticed, but he knew she'd looked back.

For one so young, and alone, it had felt nice seeing someone look with worry for him.

It would be years until he really paid it any mind, not really remembering until he'd gotten her out of a similar pinch again less than a year ago. But he'd been struck by her…oddity, both times. She was quite unlike the other Hyuga he'd met.

The standard model Hyuga housed a certain amount of arrogance, the level depending on whether they were in the Main or Branch house. Not to mention a superiority complex just shy of the decimated Uchiha clan.

* * *

Two Minutes Later:

This wasn't a fight.

From the very beginning, when the proctor had officially started the match…he'd seen it. The anger in Neji's eyes. It was cool, deceptively so, but intense. A deep-seated rage that he'd noticed on many occasions while training with Team 10. The very moment Hayate had dropped his hand…he felt a trickle of anxiety for the match.

And that worry was rewarded with grim truth.

The way of the ninja was one stained with deceit. Training in deception left one…flexible. Psychological warfare was a recognized tactic, yet Neji's disparaging words were enough to leave a bitter taste in the blonde's mouth. He'd not done so to make an opening, but to inflict pain.

As harsh as it may have seemed, he knew Hinata would lose the fight. She was limber, flexible. Far more so than Neji. They both used the same style of jyuken, but there was the flaw. Hinata was built lithe and flexible, while Neji was simply more powerful. He'd noticed on more than one occasion, the base of the jyuken was overpowering an opponent with swift, precision strikes. Simply put, Hinata wasn't built for this fight.

With one final difference.

Hinata was a gentle soul, he knew that much. Through the whole fight he saw the conflict in her. Her blows lacked strength, conviction.

She did not want to cause him undue harm.

Conversely, Neji was going for the proverbial kill. He played with her for a bit, but that disappeared soon enough as he demonstrated just how different his Byakugan was compared to hers in regards to strength.

He'd done that to break her spirit.

From that point on, his blows were aimed less for disabling and more for making her feel pain.

* * *

Kurenai watched in horror at the tearing down of her student.

She remembered that day well, when she first decided to do her utmost to protect her from the harsher side of her family.

-Flashback-

It had been just her, the Hyuga clan leader, and his youngest child, Hanabi. The little girl had been present as the newly minted Jonin, in her request for a meeting, had stumbled into their training time. The harsh training she saw inflicted on the girl almost half Hinata's age was such to turn her stomach. "_Very well, then. I will take Hinata under my wing. But are you sure that's what you want?_" she asked again."_She is your firstborn and heir to your household. The life of a genin can be dangerous and brief._" Meanwhile, Hanabi, kunai in hand, tried her best to stand back up at her father's barking order.

"_Do what you will. She's of less worth than her sister, five years her junior. The Hyuga clan has no use for such an heir._" "_If you have nothing more to say, we have work to do. Leave us now._"

"_Alright. _" Turning on her heel, she walked out. Clearing the door, her heart jumped into her throat at the sight of Hinata standing just on the other side of the doorway. Downcast, she could not lift her eyes.

-Flashback End-

"_Hinata has struggled to become what she wanted to be._" She considered herself to be a good person. As good as you could be in their profession. Yet, at times, she considered just how easy it was to hate that man. It was clan-related, but she held nothing but contempt for the man for how he'd treated his family.

At her side, she still noticed the frown marring the usually passively expressive Shino. Though often hard to read, she could tell he was just as unhappy as she was with the situation.

To her surprise, next to the kikaichu user, the blonde from Team 7 wore a similarly grim, if not simply agitated, expression. Surprising since there were many a rumor, many based in fact, that the blonde was about as expressive as an Aburame on the best of days. Anko had griped many a time over drinks how she had failed to get a rise out of him.

Now what was this?

* * *

There were many flinches at Neji's debilitating heart strike to Hinata's chest.

"**He's trying to mutilate her,**" Kyubi snarled, mainly to herself. Rules be damned, she really wanted him to go down there and maim the prick.

Naruto was silent. Eyes going to the Hokage, he growled to himself. For the moment, the kage was impressed by the male Hyuga's skill, over the worry many of the others were feeling.

It was a difficult truth.

Ninja were trained from a young age, conditioned to endure hardships in their career.

As a result, the cruelty he was witnessing was considered acceptable, up to the point of killing. Such was accepted, grudgingly, but was looked down upon.

As ninja, tolerating and enduring such was expected of each of them.

* * *

She was thrown back roughly by a palm thrust, landing hard on her side. "Look, Hinata. I'm completely out of your league and that won't change. This is what separates the elite from the failures," he lectured, stepping closer. Breathing raggedly, lavender tinted white eyes looked back. "You may not like it, but it's a fact." A few noticed the trickle of blood coming down from the right corner of her mouth. "From the instant you said you wouldn't run anymore, your fate was sealed. You were destined for failure. And now…your consumed with hopelessness."

"Foolishness." The sole word echoed through the tense silence.

From the balcony, Naruto grimaced downward. "One can only fail when they give up in themselves." Now where had that come from?

Despite his interest in the skill being shown by the boy, Sarutobi had to hide his agreeing smirk. He was the hokage and had to present himself as such.

Neji glared back with his active Byakugan, but was unable to match the cold stare. Choosing instead to look back to his…opponent. "Now this is your last warning, Hinata. Forfeit this match."

"…I…I…" Blood from her mouth splattered on the stone floor, and she spasmed painfully. Hunched over as she was, they all expected her to fall. But she did not. Her shaking lessened, her arms straightening as she tried pushing herself back up. "I never…go back…on…my word. Because that is _my_ nindo." Bringing herself up into a shaking, hunched over position, blood staining her lips and chin, far in contrast against her pale alabaster skin.

She was a wreck, but she was standing.

Facing him.

Neji's face contorted into an angry sneer. It irked him, seeing her so unwilling to accept what was so obvious.

Her eyes flittered upward to the rise behind Neji, where a half-masked blonde stood with her team. She saw concern, worry, but not pity.

He was there.

Watching her

She couldn't give up while he was watching.

The pained grimace on her lips faded, changing momentarily into a content smile.

She activated her Byakugan, Neji responding in kind.

But, before she could mount an attack, her heart seized. Clutching at her chest, she coughed up more blood. In spite of the pain, all she could think of was Naruto. Time had passed, and they'd all grown, but…she'd watched him, ceaselessly. "_Naruto…I've been watching you._" She threw herself forward, straight at Neji. "_I've been watching you closely. I wonder why? I don't know why, but… When I watch you, Naruto… When I watch you, I feel full of courage. I feel that I can keep going. That even _I_ can succeed. That even _I _am worth something._"

She dashed ever closer, Neji still and waiting.

"_Naruto, until now I have always done the watching. But…now…finally…you're the one watching me. And I'll show you what I can do. Naruto…_" The pair connected.

FP!

WP!

Her palm thrust missed, Neji's didn't, and she fell numbly, face-forward to the dirt floor.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Neji asked, standing over her. "Your strikes were ineffective from the very start. You're finished," the pronounced veins alongside his eyes fading from view. Turning a last sneer upon the downed kunoichi, he walked off.

* * *

Kurenai watched tensely. Relief only barely coming to her at the realization that the fight was done. Not that she felt any less worried for her student, lying prone on the floor. Truthfully, she had gone far longer than she'd ever expected. She had grown so much over the years under her, and the months on the team. "_Hinata, you've done enough. You've failed the match, but you've become a new person because of it. You did great._"

* * *

Unnoticeably, to most, even to himself, the blonde teen's eyes flickered with unknown anger, pupils narrowing.

* * *

The branch Hyuga's teammates were…conflicted. Neji had won, true, but in a less than youthful fashion.

* * *

Hayate stepped quietly forward. "Since she's no longer able to continue this match-"

"Wait for it," Naruto chastised from above, interrupting yet again.

Kurenai rounded on him, just about ready to rend his flesh, but, a second later, they all saw it, heard it.

"…No…" It was a whisper, but it was unmistakable. Hayate paused in his decision, Neji halting in surprise. Hinata's form shuffled, jerking, eliciting pained sobs before, after a near eternity, pulled itself upright, almost falling a few times on the way. The only thing holding her up was shear willpower. The lancing pain in her chest wracked her body to the point that her right arm came across, clutching at her ribs in the area of the traumatized organ.

"What do you think you're doing?" Neji asked, incredulous. Unnerved by this bout of defiance in the paradigm of timidity. "If you continue to fight…you're going to die!"

"_It doesn't matter. I'm not going to let myself look bad. Not now,_" she thought resolutely to herself.

Teeth clenching, Neji's glare returned full force, but with overt hatred. "_Rrr, why is she doing this?_"

Finally, she managed to bring her head up. "_Not in front of the person I admire most…who's finally seeing the real me._"

Snarling, Neji's Byakugan snapped into focus.

"I'm far…from finished," she countered, stumbling forward.

"Give up the tough-guy act," Neji scoffed. "I can tell you're barely standing." It outraged him to see one so weak trying to go against their own destiny. It was futile and an insult. "You've been carrying a very heavy burden. Having been born into the main branch of the Hyuga clan. And you've cursed and blamed yourself for being weak, but, look, people can't change who they are. That's just how it is. Just accept defeat and you won't have to suffer anymore."

Smiling wryly, Hinata could barely shake her head. "No, you're wrong, Neji-niisan. You've got it backwards." Panting weakly, "You see, I can tell that you're the one… You're suffering much more than I."

Neji momentarily balked in confusion. "I what?"

"You're the one…who's all torn up…about the fate of our families." Whatever the intention behind the words, they only incensed him. Growling angrily, he burst forward.

"The match is over!" Hayate reminded immediately, trying to force reason onto him. But the teen was far from hearing such rationality.

But before it even began, again, it was over.

Hayate had a pair of fingers, pushing back on the boy's hitai-ate.

Kakashi had a firm grip on the boy's outstretched arm, halting the palm strike.

Gai had his arm over the boy's mouth.

Kurenai restrained his free arm.

And Naruto was there as well, a tanto just a hairsbreadth from cutting into the side of Neji's throat.

"Neji! Get ahold of yourself!" Gai reprimanded, not letting up. "You promised me you wouldn't get riled up!"

Jaw tight, "Why are you and the other Jonin butting in?" he snapped, still trying to press forward, hesitating at the feel of steel digging into the skin of his neck.

"On the contrary. Move, please," the agitated blonde proposed surprising many with his dark statement.

"Is this more special treatment for the head family?"

Hinata shuddered before falling to the floor.

Kurenai felt her blood run cold, releasing her grip on Neji in favor of crossing the scant few feet to her only female student. "Hinata! Hinata?" holding the girl up as she could no longer do so for herself. Rocked backward onto her back, lavender hued white eyes watched dimly as forms came closer.

"…Naruto…" she whispered, for the most part unheard by all but Kurenai, who tucked the name she'd heard away for later. "Do you think…I changed…maybe a little?" Words barely a whisper, her vision finally going dark.

"Remove your blade, Uzumaki," Neji muttered, but the blade dug in painfully as a response. Face stony, he was deliberating the pros and cons of listening to Kyubi, and just slitting his throat for his display of cruelty. Just a pound of pressure…

Ignoring his student's surprisingly angered demeanor, "Naruto, stand down," Kakashi ordered. Naruto glared hard into Neji's eyes before, very slowly, pulling the blade away, slipping it subtly back into the hidden sheath on his lower back.

A team of medics poured through the double-doors and onto the floor of the arena, converging on the unconscious bluenette. Each was adorned in identical pale uniforms, as were traditionally worn by the medical shinobi corps.

"-_arterial damage to the aorta and the heart!_"

"_Her pulse is slipping! Let's get her to the hospital!_"

Lifting the deceptively small young woman, gently as possible, they lowered her onto a stretcher between them. Paying little heed to anyone else, they rushed her out. This was their duty, above all else.

* * *

Kurenai's fists balled. As a Jonin, even when she was a chunin, she was well versed in keeping a cool head. In spite of that… Red eyes covertly burned into the genin responsible. He had been out to hurt her student, and had succeeded. As a sensei, she felt responsible. As someone who cared for her students, she wanted Neji to get mauled by a bear. For starters.

* * *

In the tense moments after her egress, the floor's occupants only just began retreating to the balcony.

"Hyuga-san." Neji's white eyes rolled over the blonde, disdain written on his face. "That was needlessly cruel, Hyuga-san." Neji glared before turning and walking away. "A warning, should you try that again." Neji's steps faltered, but he kept on.

* * *

It was an uncomfortable silence, the rather controversial ending to the match setting many on edge.

Kakashi had taken it upon himself to walk his blonde student back to where his other teammate was waiting. The last match had brought out a far more aggressive side in him than they were used to seeing, leaving the Jonin wary. There had always been speculation that due to instability the quiet blonde might one day soon wig out.

It wasn't uncommon in their line of work. The stress would become too much after a time. It was a tragic outcome that few escaped.

* * *

"This will be the last fight of the preliminaries," Hayate announced haltingly between coughs. "There are three genin remaining. Two of you will face off, and the lucky third gets a free pass."

Of the three genin, only Lee was spirited enough to do more than nod through the tension. "Very well, proctor-san. With my flames of youth, I will fight my way to victory!"

Hayate just looked back blankly. "Moving on…" Thus, the board was cued back to life and names flashed across it before finally coming to a stop.

* * *

Gaara vs. Rock Lee

* * *

Hayate nodded, ignoring Lee's triumphant cries. "Very well. Goza Mire of Whirlpool, you immediately continue on to the finals. The last match of the preliminaries will be between Gaara of the Sand and Rock Lee of the Leaf."

Lee burned with a furious delight. "YOSH!" he crowed. "For my patience, I have been rewarded!" Gai clapped his pupil roughly on the back.

"Do you see, my pupil? Your patience has been rewarded."

"Gai?" Hayate asked from below, astonishing many that the apparent invalid could raise his voice high enough to break through the excitable Jonin's ranting.

"Yes, my esteemed colleague?"

"Shut up. Rock Lee, to the field, or you forfeit." Indeed, Gaara had already left and was standing at the ready on the floor below.

Lee braced himself to leap over the railing like the fiery beast he was, when a hand gripped his shoulder. Surprise written across his features, "Naruto-san?"

The blonde's usually placid, if not unreadable, gaze showed far more tension than expected. "Be cautious, Lee," he advised. "I believe him to be _quite_ dangerous." He couldn't just come out and say it. Jinchuuriki was a word not to be mentioned lightly. "I believe him to have no qualms with killing, should he get the chance." But Lee just flashed a confident smile, accompanied by a thumbs-up.

"Do not worry. I intend to win this!"

He leapt over the side and to the floor to meet his opponent.

"I am proud to see you care, my part-time pupil," the Jonin praised lowly. "But you know as well as I…Lee is strong."

"Gai-sensei," the blonde murmured lowly. "Gaara is _not_ to be taken lightly." Meeting the Jonin's gaze, the boy's eyes showed…anxiety. Gai's brow furrowed in contemplation. He could sense the agitation in him, and such was enough to make even the highly bombastic Jonin apprehensive.

"Let us see where this match goes then," he managed, jaw setting, carefully weighing the boy's words. "For the moment, let us have faith in Lee's success."

But neither felt completely assured. Regardless of Lee's skill, Naruto's intuition was almost always spot on.

* * *

Gaara vs. Lee

(For the sake of moving the plot along, the fight is the same as canon.)

Three Minutes In:

"_Now to finish it!_" Lee decided. Forearm bandages ensnaring the falling Sand ninja, he yanked him back upward. "Hidden Lotus!" and sent a crushing pair of simultaneous blows from his right arm and leg, straight into Gaara's torso. Defense long since bypassed, Gaara momentarily coughed, choking on the blow, before, in that brief span, he was planted in the arena floor. The violent impact sent up a cloud of dust, filling the large area and blocking all sight.

* * *

Ponytail whipping, Shikamaru shielded his eyes from the tumultuous dust storm. "_So fast,,,I couldn't see a thing!_"

* * *

But the experienced eyes of the gathered Jonin caught something that the younger generation hadn't. The gourd on Gaara's back… In his fall, it had contorted, dissolving.

* * *

Tumbling out of the settling dust cloud, Lee bounced to a painful stop.

"_Is it over?_" many wondered, some actually whispering it, hopeful.

"It's not over," Naruto whispered to himself, though Gai overheard him, tensing. He could feel the other jinchuuriki.

As if to answer their murmurings, and at the same time prove him right, the dissipating dust cloud cleared enough to reveal the truth to all. Breathing raggedly, Gaara was down.

* * *

Gai's heart skipped a beat. "_Unbelievable. He cushioned his fall by turning that gourd to sand._"

* * *

The Suna nin's body was covered in cracks. More precisely, the sand armor he wore, always, was littered with cracks and missing chunks from Lee's furious attacks had ripped pieces out of it. But while he was off his feet, he was hardly finished. Flat on his back as he was in the writhing cushion of sand he'd made for himself, Gaara, surprised at his own state, locked his eyes on the similarly down Leaf ninja.

Hand shaking, he brought it up to bare.

Lee struggled to his knees. The pain was excruciating, but that just slowed him down, it didn't stop him. His body was a mess, he could feel it, but he wouldn't let that stop him. Breathing tiredly from the exertion he'd just gone through, he witnessed Gaara's consciousness. Moreover, he saw the raised arm and the sand it heralded. The sand was slow, far slower than before, but it headed his way. Trying to stand, he fell back on his hands and knees, coughing violently.

* * *

Shino tensed at the attack. "_I know what's coming now._" It'd been something he wished he and his team could forget, the memories of what they'd witnessed were so graphic.

-Flashback-

"Sand Coffin!"

And the air was filled with red mist.

-Flashback End-

* * *

Try as he might, his attempts gained him mere inches in distance. "_Impossible._" Looking back at the encroaching sand, "_He not only survived the Hidden Lotus, he is able to go on the attack._"

The sand reached his ankle.

His left leg, then his left arm, were encased by the sand's iron-like grasp. Pull as he might, its hold was relentless.

"Sand Coffin," Gaara rasped weakly, outstretched hand closing.

Lee's pained cries stopped hearts.

Naruto felt his own mind still at the spectacle. He'd not seen that coming.

Gai, for all his belief in his student, was finally beginning to fear for his student.

* * *

"_I'm…not going…to be the one that…loses. I have…my own…ninja way,_" Lee vowed to himself through the pain, even as he fell. His mind, giving in to the pain, shut down.

* * *

But Gaara wasn't finished. As if the first was but a vanguard, a new volley of sand was sent forth. "Now you die."

Hayate's eyes widened, but, before he could call the match off, two things happened. First, the second wave of sand exploded away, blocked by a fierce dismissal from Gai, appearing in front of Lee to shield him, and second…

"Gaara!" The sand wavered, its further attack halting. Maddened green eyes traced a shaky path up to the gallery, to where one Naruto Uzumaki stood. It was he who'd interfered. He had felt the edge of demonic chakra in that tone. That alone had held his attack, his…interest in the blonde.

For that alone did the annoying one live.

Expression stony, Gai stood between his fallen pupil, and the one who wanted to end him. The place where he was needed.

Gaara's broken perception of the world cracked even more. Seeing the Jonin standing between him and his prey, the blonde acting similarly, and…his own memories. Assaulted by the painful memories, he clutched his head, cringing. "But why?" he gasped. "He failed. Why save him?"

"Because he's…" Gai's mind drifted to happier times, training his students. Times when Lee had trained himself into the ground for his ambition. The young boy's devotion to his dream. "Because he's my student. And also because he's precious to me."

Seeing the red-haired genin under his command, clench his head in pain, "_That's a sentiment that Gaara couldn't even begin to understand,_" Baki mused. For them all, this was a critical juncture. Gaara _could not_ turn now. It was far too soon. All plans revolved around Gaara keeping his cool, for now.

Standing up, sand reforming into the gourd on his back, Gaara walked away, a barely visible weakness in his steps. "I quit," he griped sourly.

It was moot anyway. Once Gai'd entered the arena, the match was over, Lee losing.

Hayate brought up a hand. To make it official, "The winner is…" The audience gasped in awed, silenced shock. Noting the paused declaration, Gaara turned.

Worried by the hushed cries from the assemblage, Gai twisted around to his student, only to look on in wonder himself. "It…can't be."

It was Lee.

Head down…he stood, posture in that of a defensive stance. Body broken and bloodied, he stood, limbs shaking.

* * *

Kakashi's eyes, both of them, were wide. "_After all that…he shouldn't be able to move! Let alone stand up._"

* * *

Seeing his student on his feet, Gai crossed the few feet between them in a hurried rush. "No, Lee. It's alright. It's all over now," placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Anyway, you're in no condition to-" The words froze in his throat, realization knocking the wind out of him. "Lee. Oh, Lee. What have I done?" Tears fell from the passionate taijutsu master.

Lee was unconscious.

So devoted was he, that his body stood to face his opponent, even when he was out cold.

"Look at you. Not even conscious…and still determined to show the world what you can do."

* * *

Kakashi pulled down his hitai-ate to cover his sharingan eye. "_He's out cold. Nothing keeping him up but sheer will power._"

* * *

"Lee, you've already proven it," Gai murmured, pulling the boy into a hug. "_You are a splendid ninja._"

"The winner…is Gaara."

* * *

Goza was the taijutsu aficionado of his team. Maybe even of both Whirlpool teams. He was impressed with the Leaf nin's skill. It was a mix of relief at not having to fight someone with an ace like that up his sleeve, as well as disappointment at the missed challenge of facing someone who specialized in his field. All the same, "Damn. That was something else." And he could seriously respect the bowl-cut kid, seeing him stand back up while unconscious.

* * *

Naruto respected Lee. That alone had kept him from trying to further convince Gai to stop the match. This was…his choice. And, as his friend, he would respect it. No matter the building conflict he'd felt at seeing him tear himself to shreds.

At the same time, he felt…pride.

Lee had fought and almost defeated a jinchuuriki in single combat. Not just that, but he'd done so using only taijutsu against an opponent who had a natural, tough defense against such physical attacks. Of course, Gaara's Shukaku wasn't the most powerful, but Gaara, by his guess, was, in power alone, well and far outside Chunin level.

But that in no way took away from the fight. Lee hadn't won, but he'd gone some distance against a very strong opponent.

Regardless, he was overcome by feelings of worry for his friend.

* * *

Gai had known Lee was special from the start. In a way that defied conventional description. From the first day he'd seen him in the academy. The failure who had nothing to his name but some lousy taijutsu. But a drive that would make any teacher proud. That was why he'd asked for the boy to be on his team.

Coughing harshly into his fist, Hayate waved to them all to get their attention. "Now, all winners please assemble in single file on the floor for the details of the finals." While it didn't take very long at all, there was still some shuffling as some were more injured than others. Gravitating towards their own groups, they lined up before the Hokage and the Jonin proctors.

"And now I will begin the explanation of the final rounds," Sarutobi announced, smiling fondly towards all the young hopefuls. It was so very nostalgic to see the young generations catch up to the old, eventually replacing them. Seeing faces that he had seen grown in his village. Who they'd been, who they were, and who they could become.

* * *

Elsewhere:

The pale sannin clutched at his stump of an arm. Even under use of drugs, the limb burned with phantom pains searing his nerves, as if he was still under assault from that damn jutsu.

That jutsu…

Grimacing in pain as he was, he was intrigued. Something had obviously changed in the boy. When last he'd seen him, he'd been a foolish brat like any other, but now… Perhaps his earlier examination had been in haste, or, perhaps it was the impetus. Yet it hardly took away from the fact that he'd harmed him so. It was both an insult to the snake wielder, and a death mark on the young blonde.

He'd find out what'd changed him, and then…he'd kill the brat for this grievance.

"Is the replacement ready, Kabuto?" he snapped harshly. As much damage had been done, the arm, what was left of it, would need to be replaced, and at the joint of the shoulder. It would take the time until the finals to get it close to the original's strength, but then it would be better to go into any situation with both arms working than only one.

Given the limited time, a new body was out of the question. It would take too long to "break in" as it were.

* * *

The premise of the preliminaries, besides further thinning down the candidates, was to show how they all did against opponents that they might potentially have no information on at all. Now though, all having witnessed the fights of the participants, the test shifted to see how they would do after a month-long respite of training using that information.

This information wasn't all that new to those that read the reviews of previous in-village exams, namely Naruto. In all fairness though, it wasn't like all the exams had finals. There were the odd cases where the Forest of Death won out.

Yeah, dark days in the Leaf.

The specifics out of the way though, they'd been instructed to draw lots.

Shino Aburame of Konoha, drew number 10

Shikamaru Nara of Konoha, drew number 6

Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha, drew number 1

Neji Hyuga of Konoha , drew number 2

Kankuro of Suna, drew number 4

Temari of Suna, drew number 5

Gaara of Suna, drew number 8

Doru Sinek of Whirlpool, drew number 3

Shikaro Uzumaki of Whirlpool, drew number 11

Goza Mire of Whirlpool, drew number 12

Dosu Kinuta of Sound , drew number 9

And, by default, that made Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha number 7.

Catching the lineup, Naruto couldn't help but feel an odd…twinge within him. He was…glad of the arrangement. Something within him truly felt vindication in the pairing of him to Neji.

* * *

Upon exiting the tower, they'd been escorted safely out of the forest where they all scattered, some faster than others to do so. But though Naruto wasn't showing haste, his own leave was halted by the insistent urging of the Hokage. "Naruto. I want you to go to the hospital and have your arm checked out." It hadn't really been a request.

And, given the pain he still felt, it wasn't one he would've denied in the first place.

* * *

She wasn't allowed to see Sasuke.

That worried her, a lot.

Apparently, he'd been in isolated care almost the entire time since he'd been taken away.

The curse mark…

But with Kakashi's insistence, she'd been made to leave…for the night. With hopes for a better turnout upon her next visit. She was just so tired.

Given that she was only mildly bruised, Sakura hadn't needed to stay overnight. Unlike many others who'd suffered some mild contusions and chakra exhaustion, she actually got to head home. Dreams of a hot shower and bed in mind, she had to stop herself from skipping.

She may have been resolved to grow stronger, if only so she didn't have to keep relying on the others, but she still needed her relaxation time. There was only so much grime a girl could take after all.

Home though, turned out to be more…subdued than she'd expected. It was nothing at first, until she started noticing her father's distant bearing.

It was her aunt, Ayane. Sweet Aunt Ayane who'd so often regaled her with tales of how she had pursued the Yondaime himself. It was she who'd shown her what it meant to devote yourself to chasing the one you love.

(If she only knew.)

She'd…she'd been executed…as…as a criminal for crimes against the village. Not even two hours back, and the pinkette felt her world shake once more.

* * *

A downside of being…well, him, when it came to medical care was that some doctors had tried to give him poison. After the third had been sent to Ibiki, the message seemed to sink in enough to the staff that their anger changed to strict indifference. At those times he supposed it was for the best that he never truly required medical care.

In this particular instance though, he was sitting down while the med-nin unwrapped the bandages from his abused arm, the Hokage watching worriedly from the background. The results weren't unexpected. He had seen the effects on the boys arm from his early attempts at the jutsu, and now was no different, with exception to the occasions that parts of his limb would…explode.

Still, there were the telltale signs. Chakra burns stretching along the arm. Skin dried and cracking where the electric force had ripped its way out along his arm, frying it at the same time. Such a destructive technique, but with a price. He very much doubted that anyone besides Naruto would be able to use it. Him with his ability to heal the wounds inflicted through its use, and the jutsu for its chakra intensive nature. "How does it look?"

The med-nin showed his professionalism by not ogling the appendage. "It's quite extensive, sir. The coils have been put under an immense strain, the epidermis and underlying tissue is damaged by concentrated chakra burns, the nerves in the surrounding area experiencing much the same. It will take some time to heal." The med-nin actually looked at the blonde in awe at the damage he'd inflicted upon himself.

Again, this came as no surprise.

Locking eyes on the stoic genin, the med-nin delivered his verdict. "You'll need to avoid chakra usage in your arm until it's healed enough to handle it." He knew this, but Naruto still nodded. "Come back in in a week and we'll check your progress."

Sarutobi nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Gaira. That will be all."

The so named Gaira bowed his head in respect for the village leader, "Hokage-same," and left.

Slipping his arm as carefully, not to mention painlessly, as possible through the sleeve of his vest, he pulled the bit of apparel back on. "I would suggest a few days' rest, Naruto-kun. If not just to heal, then to…decompress from the trials of the last few days."

The blonde nodded. "Understood." Given that he had to treat the arm gingerly so he wouldn't be stricken with mind blowing pain, it was sage advice from the heavens. "If everything works out according to plan, I'll come to you a week before the finals to remove the seal."

Pausing to remove his pipe from within his robes, thumbing tobacco into it belly, Sarutobi nodded in approval. It would allow the boy time to readjust. "Agreed."

"Then, if you don't mind, Hokage-ojisama, I would like to go see how the others are faring."

Chuckling weakly to himself, he nodded the boy off. "It's good to see you spreading your wings, my boy," he murmured to an empty room. It was small, but still a step forward.

* * *

"How come we weren't told there was an Uzumaki in Konoha?" Hana could be called…blunt. She was subtle as a rock to the head, but it didn't make her any less effective. Though it could be supposed that her messed up inner ear still keeping her bedridden, thus pissing her off, might have something to do with the outright declaration for answers.

With Miro's affirmative nod, Kushina could only shrug. "There shouldn't be. What's their name?"

Shikaro, leaning against the inside of the outer wall, scratched his cheek. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Kushina blinked owlishly, taken aback. "That…That can't be right." It was impossible. It was _very_ impossible. Try as she had to forget that day, she still had nightmares of Ayane walking into her room and delivering the crushing news. That of the fates of her husband, and of her son. "I-I need to go," she stammered, shaken. Looking to her fellow Jonin, "Can you handle them for a few hours?"

Miro nodded, unsettled by the effect a single name could have on her.

* * *

Lee was still in Intensive Care. He doubted the boy would leave until later that night. Words were few with Gai. Now was simply not the time, even if they were words of comfort.

And any words regarding Neji…would have to wait.

The genin of Konoha had all seemed to be on the mend, many with a new outlook on their skills and those of their opponents.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Yes, please, would you tell me where I might find Hinata Hyuga's room?" he asked the secretary at the desk.

"Checking up on everyone?"

Turning, he was rewarded, if one could call it that, with the approaching figure of Kakashi, most likely fresh from his vigil over the Uchiha. "Kakashi-sensei," he greeted. "Since you are here, could you-"

"If you're going to ask about training, I can't do it."

"-tell me where I might find Hinata-san?"

Awkward.

Brow elevated in mild interest, "If that is the case, so be it," he answered. "Though my question still stands, do you know where I might find Hinata-san's room?" By now though, the med-nin secretary had gotten tired of being ignored.

"Down the hall. Room 116," the young woman grit out testily.

Surprised that he'd forgotten about the woman at the desk, "My apologies," he offered. "And thank you. Kakashi-san," nodding stiffly in parting.

Kakashi laughed a little uneasily. Maybe he could've handled that better, but…Sasuke needed the training. Especially if he was to face Gaara in the finals. The fight against Lee was burned into his mind, and he would make certain that the taijutsu user's fate did not fall onto the Uchiha as well.

* * *

-Flashback-

"Naruto, I know you have your reasons, but please try and give Kakashi a chance. There are still many things for you to learn, that he could teach you."

-Flashback End-

For Sarutobi, he'd been ready to make the attempt, olive branch at the ready. However, shot down as he'd just been… "So be it," he voiced again, to himself. He didn't need the Jonin's help in training, it had simply been meant as a building of bridges. But if he didn't want to reciprocate... Fine.

To be fair, his information had led him to never see this coming. Walking down the hall, unknowingly counting doors as he went… The woman with long, red hair… By the second glance, he was sure he wasn't seeing things.

Blue eyes rounded just enough to contrast from what was normal for him.

* * *

She blinked, twice, trying to comprehend.

What-What was this? At any one moment she didn't know if she was going to faint, vomit, or go on a rage. Though all that would be moot without knowing the accuracy of the genins' information.

-Flashback-

"But what about your son?"

-Flashback End-

The Hokage… Was that what he'd been trying to tell her?

Her mind whipped to and fro at the endless possibilities. Ayane had told her of their deaths. Had something happened? Had her little boy actually survived? If that was true though…then she'd left her own son alone for nearly fifteen years.

It was almost enough to have her body lean towards vomiting.

Staggering as she was, she raised a hand against the wall to steady herself.

"Checking up on everyone?"

Kakashi? Eyeballing the junction of hallways just ahead of her, through the milling ninja and patients she caught sight of the cyclopean Jonin, looking ever so much as he had the last time she'd seen him as a boy, speaking with a young man. Perhaps fifteen, she was momentarily caught agape at the nostalgic feelings that arose from the blue eyes and blonde hair that she could see so clearly even at this distance.

Through their whole conversation, short as it was, her eyes tracked the face, no matter the people walking around or the fact that half his face was covered.

Was he…

Leaving the Jonin, he headed right towards her.

* * *

There was simply no possibility for this kind of resemblance, and, to his own shock, he found his lips moving on their own, voicing the thought in his head. "Kushina…Uzumaki?"

Oh crap. He sounded so much like Minato did at that age. "Kyubi." This…This was her son. Alive. This was _her_ son, alive, and that was the first thing out of her mouth.

Outside, he merely blinked, while on the inside he reeled as if punched soundly in the gut. To his personal pride, he didn't show just how much the tone behind that one word hurt him. It engulfed him. The list of people who knew, outside the village, was very short. That didn't help the fact though that he'd long ago snuck the picture of his mother from the archives. And this was she. Never before had he felt such…pain?

But he was a rock, nothing showed f he didn't want it to. And right now, that was what he wanted to be, a rock. Cold, hard, uncaring towards anything else. One who endured, survived. "Good day to you, Whirlpool nin-san," he dismissed, the barest hint of tightness in his voice.

* * *

AN/ Calibri, 8pt font, 22 pages. Suck it. It is so very relieving to finally have this part done. This chapter's been hanging around my neck like an albatross. For those of you who don't follow, read more literature. Hope you enjoy. If not, then that's your problem.


	14. Turbulent Training Days

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did, as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

AN/ **Read This for Updates!** There's no telling which story I can/will update next. Plead/Demand all you want, it's whatever comes to me. "You can't rush art." (Old toy restorer from Toy Story 2) It's all really whichever I get into the feeling of. As of the last two weeks, it's been Shadowed Light. But I'm still writing the others. My latest Naruto x New X-Men chapter will be up by next week, if not in the next twenty-four, and the latest Winx chapter is about 60% done. The latter will either be out by Sunday, or by April 6th. And new crossovers, too. You may've seen my "Maybe Stories." Well, soon, I might add a Naruto/Sky High (minus W. Stronghold), a Naruto/ Carmen Sandiego (Naruto x Carmen. Thief/Thief).

* * *

Chapter 14 - Turbulent Training Days

* * *

In spite of what he showed, he had been shaken by her choice of words.

That the first thing to come out of her mouth upon seeing him was the name of a creature she remembered as an avatar of malevolence and destruction…

A sudden headache rocked him, an aching weakness sweeping from head to toe, but most intense in the former. Whatever reason it may be, the sudden figurative slap from someone he'd long thought dead or the unexplainable soreness flooding his body, he was left…at a loss. What should he feel?

He felt…cold.

* * *

Kyubi wanted so very much to comfort him, but no words came. In so many ways, she was partly responsible from the very beginning of it all, and, while she tried her utmost to correct that, right now, she knew not what she could do to ease this pain.

* * *

He knew how to fight through pain, exist in its searing clutches as it so often tried to smother you to death. Forcing it back, it was but a dull, aching throbbing in the back of his mind.

And it was in that semi-compromised state that he arrived in front of the desired door. Having sensed the ambient chakra of a Jonin within he assumed Kurenai was inside. Knocking quietly, he waited for a moment before the door opened, a stoically somber Kurenai looking out.

"Yuhi-san," he greeted lowly as she stepped aside, allowing him inside the room.

Inside, the room was no different than a good many other rooms, but, then, they were designed that way, so that equipment could be moved from room to room wherever it was needed. Equipment that he now saw surrounding the bed. And under the blankets was Hinata-san, looking far paler than was normal for her. The fair complexion had turned almost ghostly. She was on oxygen, and was on the receiving end of a saline dispensing IV.

Though, the scene was not as dire as it appeared if you were fairly educated. The IV was to rehydrate her body, supplying some basic nutrients and aiding in replacing lost blood. The oxygen was more than likely to aid in her breathing as her lungs had been weakened by Neji's attacks.

Kurenai stood aside and watched the young man, thinking over every move he made. His reaction during the exam had sold her on the fact that he was no threat to her, far from it in fact. He was very good at hiding it, to the point that even he wasn't aware of it, but she could see the flickerings of worry in him as he gazed upon her unconscious student. "The doctor says it may be several days before she regains consciousness," she apprised, getting a silent nod from the masked blonde. It needed no saying just how badly she was hurt.

Turning to the genjutsu specialist, "You are a credit to the title of "sensei," Yuhi-san," he praised with a small incline of his head, and that was all he said before turning and walking to the door. "If it is alright, I would like to check up on her at a later time," and sent his cool blue gaze in the Jonin's direction, questioning.

She managed a very weak smile, "Of course. I'm sure she would appreciate it." As the door closed after him, she couldn't help but look back to her student and contemplate the events unfolding before her. Events that seemed to be bringing the young pair obliviously closer to one another, without either knowing.

-(Okay, supposed to be a scene break, but not cooperating)-

It troubled him.

That was the best way to describe it.

The ache between his ears aside, seeing the fruits of Neji's anger and resentment had awoken that intangible pain anew. Why did the sight of Hinata-san in her current condition leave him so very worried? She would live, he knew that. So, why?

"_Do you think…I changed…maybe a little?"_

The only reason he'd even heard her at the time was because of his own heightened senses. And, given all that was going on, he was fairly certain that he had been the only one to hear it. All the same… Something in her words weighed down on him, but not unpleasantly.

Blinking, trying to dismiss the pain again, he shuffled in the direction of his apartment. Sleep, he supposed, would be the panacea to these unexplainable ailments.

* * *

She'd been on autopilot ever since.

However the method, unaware of the time, she'd found herself back in the hotel room the Whirlpool teams had been assigned, and, just like that, she found herself on the floor, back to the door, her knees curled up against her chest.

That was her son…

She remembered holding him for just a moment before Minato'd taken him away. Not just to save the village, or her, but to save their little boy. He looked so much like him now. There was so much of Minato in his face.

Her gut wrenched again.

And the years she'd spent recovering, thinking she was alone, that she'd lost them both.

She'd called him a demon, as good as…

…How could she face him after that?

It was that one fearful thought that had halted her from chasing after. As long as she kept away, she would have to witness the damage she'd inflicted…and it tore her up inside.

Tears brimming, she hugged her knees closer and dropped her head. She was a terrible mother.

* * *

Sleep came to him as a child would when going to see the doctor. Fitful and uncooperative. And the dull ache hadn't lessened in the slightest.

And he felt…listless.

It began to worry him how difficult it was proving to ignore the sobriquet with which his supposed mother had chosen to label him. It was highly likely that the difficulty stemmed from a deep emotional attachment that had survived his childhood, but that was just one theory.

He sensed the chakra signature approach his door.

But, for now, he didn't wish to see anyone.

Already dressed, he was out the window and gone.

And that was how it was for several days, four to be exact. He couldn't train, his arm nowhere near ready for that. Avoiding anyone and everyone, in general, he let himself be overtaken by his inner musings.

* * *

He returned to the hospital a week later. In that time, he'd done fairly little. To be clear, there was little he could do. With his right arm still healing, and doing adequately at that, it would still be a further week before he could gently tread in the waters of chakra usage in that limb. Not that he'd been utterly sessile either. As he had planned, he'd spent that time in rigorous chakra control training. Mostly water-walking and meditation. He had to take constant care so as not to let any chakra spike through the tender chakra conduits in his arm, but progress was still made.

Someone had been trying to seek him out. He knew who it was. Ebisu was an exemplary Jonin when it came to chakra efficiency, and he found his studiousness to be admirable, but he had avoided the man regardless.

It had been a relief, the short time of repose he'd had so far.

The headaches had faded, and while the gnawing sensation in his gut remained, that too was ebbing.

* * *

"Hello, Yuhi-san." Stepping like a wraith in through the door, he acknowledged the Jonin before his eyes lit upon the healing kunoichi in the bed. Unlike his first visit, she was conscious, and the color had begun to return to her face, but she still had a fragility about her. White eyes with their ever-present touch of lavender, unique to her, widened in surprise before dancing away diffidently. "And, Hinata-san, it is good to see you are recovering."

Cheeks burning, "Thank you, N-Naruto." Kurenai had told her that he'd come to see her after the preliminaries had finished. It had acted to both hearten and embarrass her. She just hoped that it had not been out of pity. Anything, but that. Nevertheless, she felt a deep vitality that he had deemed her worth checking on what with his training and preparing for the finals. And, right now, she was more than a little self-conscious about being seen in bed, no matter that she was clothed.

Hiding her amusement like a pro, Kurenai gave a muted cough before excusing herself for some water. The closed door became her partner in crime, acting to block her devious smirk from the two teens.

"How is your recovery going?"

Startled by the question, Hinata stammered before her thoughts collected enough to become coherent. "Huh? Oh, um, the doctors…they say I'll b-be in the hospital for another week." It was her heart. The muscle had taken a beating during the match and, until it recovered, they wanted her in the hospital so they could monitor her. Images of Neji advancing on her still filled her thoughts. She couldn't hate him, but there was no forgetting the sting of his attacks.

"That is good to hear," the blonde acknowledged, eliciting a flushing encore in her features.

"_He's…glad?_"

"Um, th-thank you." Her cheeks burned. Her heart thrummed against her ribs. Only intense effort kept her heart from actually racing. Given her recovery, it was to be avoided. It ached, just a little, but the feelings brought on by his words made up for it.

"Sensei…she told me that you will be fighting Neji in the finals," she asked, redirecting the conversation away from anything that might embarrass her. He nodded solemnly.

"That is true."

"I-I know you're strong, Naruto," she spoke quickly, giving him pause. "What…What are you going to do?"

He feigned serenity at her admission. He himself would admit to being perplexed, as he was fairly certain that he hadn't shown all that much. "I plan to defeat him," he answered simply, turning for the door. But she could see the odd coldness in his eyes at that easy declaration. Few knew him as she did. Most wouldn't have noticed it, but she did.

"N-Naruto?" He paused in his egress to return his attention to the bluenette.

"Hinata-san?"

"Please," she murmured. "Don't blame Neji." He was rather caught off-guard by her plea.

"Pardon?"

"Neji…Neji has reason to hate me," she admitted.

Blinking, he was swift to recover. "There is no reason for trying to end the life of another in a test," he countered. If anything, the turmoil he could feel coming off her only grew, her brow openly knitting. "And hate is a rather…flimsy excuse. You know that his strikes were intended to cause pain," he jabbed. The subtle trace of fire in his tone went unheard. "Perhaps I am not the best to make this argument, but I believe that family is supposed to protect family, not try to kill it."

Now wasn't the time to get too philosophical. He didn't feel like addressing the subject of the Uchiha, particularly the actions and behaviors of its last two members. Correction, last two _known_ Uchiha.

"Neji is hurting," she rationalized, smiling weakly at him. "I-I can't hate him for that. S-Someday, I hope he'll forgive me."

He felt the oddest wince, somewhere deep within himself at her words. Painful, but in a novel way.

Her view of family. The length she was willing to go to for them… He was reminded of his innocent days. He remembered being more rambunctious, but, in this moment, his thoughts centered around his early hunger for family.

Watching other children with their parents, one or both.

He'd often wondered what his life would've been like…with a family.

Not that anyone would've adopted him. His infamy in the village was viral.

"_Kyubi._" Okay, now that memory actually hurt. One word, and he had been utterly blindsided. Blue eyes locked on the kunoichi, trying to discern just _how_ she could be so forgiving of the pain inflicted upon her by her own family. Surprisingly, he longed to be able to dismiss his own woes so easily.

"How can you do that?" he asked. For the first time, she didn't see that guarded look his eyes had reflected for o long, but, in its place, a yearning curiosity.

"What?"

"The pain brought on by your own family," he elucidated for her. "How can you so easily overcome it?"

She balked at his question. For one, _he_ was asking _her_. And, second, she hadn't seen this side of him before. Not since he'd changed. He'd been so gritty and full of life, then subdued. Until now. Now, she saw a spark of that old fire in him. But there was sadness there.

A little nervous at having him gaze upon her so intently, she stumbled on a few of her words. "B-Because, they're family," she answered. It was a simple answer that spoke volumes. It pained her to see how little he understood it though. How do you describe the deeper connection of family? "I-I'm sorry if that doesn't help you."

His brow was knit, but the look he sent her was not of disappointment. At least, not in her.

"If you forgive him, then I will not sully your intention," he sighed.

Relief flooded her. She knew Neji was strong, but then so was Naruto, and she knew the blonde lived by certain principles. She hadn't wanted to see him try to hurt her cousin. "Thank you," loosing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I cannot promise to be gentle with him though." There was something about that addendum that made her smile, faintly complacent. The fact that he'd had to say such was proof that he wouldn't go out of his way to cause him harm.

As he left though, she felt herself overcome by a content glow. The one she liked, the one who inspired her, had worried for her. For now, things were looking up, and that was all she wanted to think about for the time being.

* * *

"There you are."

To be fair, he'd _let_ the Jonin find him. Or, for even further clarification, he'd simply stopped hiding. It had been a week, meaning he had just over three left. He knew with fair certainty that Kakashi had arranged for the special Jonin to tutor him. A weak attempt at hiding any sort of favoritism. Any other reason and the Jonin would've sought him out through the proper channels. "Hello, Ebisu-san," he greeted with a marginal incline of his head.

"I have been trying to gain your attention for the last week," he huffed irritably, fiddling with his sunglasses. "Have you been purposefully avoiding me?"

"Yes." The Jonin's brow twitched over the rims of his sunglasses. "No offense intended, of course," the blonde added. "I simply needed some…time to myself."

Deflating, Ebisu took to walking beside the living enigma that was Naruto. "Kakashi asked me-"

"To tutor me for the finals," the teen finished, getting a nod, albeit reluctantly at being interrupted. "Unnecessary. I have already planned ahead for the finals, but, for now, I can do nothing for yet another week, as you can see," lifting his arm up for him to see. It was a far cry better than it'd been just a week before, but time was still needed.

Some might've found it odd that the genin was speaking so casually to the Jonin, but that would be because they knew not the mitigating factors that allowed such. Naruto, while generally polite, had never been one for the bowing and scraping between rank and position. He was respectful when and where such was necessary, but he would never kneel to anyone.

Ebisu had long since come to better understand the blonde genin. Admittedly, he'd been worried that Konohamaru shouldn't be associated with him, and yet… For all his social inequalities, he had instilled a lasting positive effect on the young Sarutobi. As such, he had been afforded a new outlook on him. A social outcast he may be, but, looking closer, there was a surprising intellect.

When Kakashi had asked this favor of him, it had struck him as odd. Surely it wasn't beyond his abilities to train both his students?

The genin nodded to him, acknowledging his presence before turning back to the large scroll in his lap. "How is Konohamaru?" he asked amiably as the pair walked.

Adjusting his sunglasses, "He is doing quite well." In truth, the small boy was pushing himself to his absolute limit in training, in no small part due to the blonde teen's influence. "You are prepared to face Neji?"

"I have a few options," he admitted. "While I cannot train though, I am reviewing my notes on elemental chakra theory."

Ebisu nodded. "A fairly advanced subject." And by that he meant tricky. Truly. Most ninja didn't begin learning about elemental chakra until they were nearing Jonin level experience in their Chunin career. By the time one became Jonin, they usually had two affinities at their disposal. The subject of theory though was something more reserved for the very patient.

The jinchuriki paused in momentary cogitation… Ebisu was a Special Jonin. To attain that rank was to be as skilled as the rank demanded, but specializing in a certain aspect. Ebisu's specialty was understanding the subtler details of chakra and the basic shinobi techniques. While many other Jonin would abandon the lower level techniques for the bigger ones, Ebisu knew how to make the most out of the weaker ones. "However, if you have the time, I could use some constructive criticism." The following hour of back and forth debate led late into the afternoon. Once more, Ebisu found his understanding of the teen to be lacking.

* * *

"But to have such an effect on the user-" It wasn't something he'd come across in his reference materials. But then, it was only through his work in R & D that he had access to Chunin level references, any higher required special dispensation from the Hokage, and that took some persuading.

Ebisu nodded. "Yes. I suppose it is possible that, with you having Wind affinity, if your affinity for that element were high enough, some jutsu of an opposing element, Fire or Lightning, would conflict. Biting back, you could call it. A recoil. What about the seals themselves? Could there be a flaw in the sequence?"

The blonde spared him the lightest of offended glares in response. He was not sloppy. "I wondered if that could be it years ago, but the seal order is true. None conflicted, so it must have to do with the nature of the jutsu itself." The pair pondered on that, eating in silence for a moment.

Chopsticks dangling in air, Ebisu swallowed and restarted their conversation. "It is an interesting theory. I cannot say as I've ever heard of anything as severe as that." Blinking, "Though if anything I would bet that it is a combination of factors." Naruto listened raptly, sipping his tea. "Not only was it a technique that was against your nature, which is in itself rather strong, but it is entirely possible that the jutsu is unusable, if not outright dangerous, to anyone without a significant Lightning affinity."

Nodding, "I had wondered that more than once myself. It's not as simple as just two opposing forces interacting. No, the reaction is so severe from the _level_ of conflict in the interaction."

"A fair supposition," Ebisu agreed. "Though an interesting question might be whether your high Wind affinity would always conflict or not. Is it simply a matter of control? Or, is it akin to an allergic reaction, wherein the jutsu always reacts to the opposing affinity." It was a rather heavy subject. Most might look at the pair like they were speaking in tongues for all the sense they were making. To someone like Ebisu who thrived on deep thinking, it was an enthralling debate. Spitballing theory after theory, many not so very dissimilar from the others except in the details, it was a challenge for the wilier minded.

* * *

"How's it going, old-hrgk!"

To say that the wandering Sannin was undercutting the situation, by a Hell of a lot. Staring down at the blazing eyes of a seriously pissed off Sandaime, deceptively strong hands holding him off the floor, had the Great Jiraiya experiencing fearfully reminiscent memories of his teammate in one of her rages. It was the kind of expression he'd never thought to ever see on the face of the sternly amiable Hokage. And it absolutely scared the shit out of him.

Whatever he'd done…he was sorry. He didn't know what that could be, as he could swear he hadn't pissed anyone too important off…lately. But that didn't mean he wouldn't apologize as profusely as necessary to loosen his once-sensei's grip before it crushed his windpipe.

"Did you know, Jiraiya?" Damn, that was a _growl_. He hadn't heard the Sandaime do that since…well, he couldn't really remember when. Ooh, not good. "Dammit, did you know?" the aged Hokage snarled, shaking the man easily twice his size like a ragdoll.

"I swear…whatever I dig…'m greely sorri," he managed, choking at the end. Please don't let him die. He still hadn't seen Tsunade in a bikini yet!

Composing himself, Hiruzen dropped his student, giving him the chance to breathe and, if necessary, explain himself.

Coughing, the younger of the two massaged his throat. "By Kami, old man," he wheezed. "What crawled up your butt?"

"Not the time, Jiraiya," the Sarutobi spat, pacing furiously. "I've been trying to get ahold of you for over a week now."

Scowling, he reconsidered the signed copy of his latest book he'd been planning to give him. "What'd somebody die?"

Head wrenching, the aged kage's furious gaze leveled on him. There was outrage there, greatest amongst a plethora of emotions flying through his eyes. "The opposite. Jiraiya, if our time as teacher and student meant anything to you, you will tell me the truth." Jiraiya felt suddenly like someone was walking over his grave. "Did you know that Kushina was still alive?"

"…"

"Jiraiya?"

"Crazy-old-monkey-say-what-now?" The Toad Sannin blinked owlishly. "Can you say that again, sensei? I could swear I had something crazy in my ear." There was simply no way he'd heard what he thought he'd heard.

"Kushina," he repeated being sure to use small words. "She's alive. Did you know?" But the aged shinobi knew the answer almost immediately. Jiraiya may be the spymaster of Konoha, but he'd known him since he was a boy and there was little that he could hide from him. The telltale stiffening in his posture and the immediate tightening along his body may as well have been screams of negation.

"I…I didn't know," Jiraiya murmured, still trying to process what he had just heard. Kushina? But...she'd died. He'd been there to see her and Minato put to earth. Well, Minato at least. Her coffin had been empty. There had been so many dead, and when a wing of the hospital had collapsed… There had never been a recognizable body pulled from the rubble. In retrospect, he felt like a damn fool for forgetting one of the oldest rules in the shinobi practice: If there's no body, chances are they're still alive. And, somehow, he got the feeling the old man had been kicking himself for the same reason. "The survivors of that clan had scattered when the village fell at the end of the war. I'd heard rumors that a few Uzumaki had begun rebuilding, but just that. Only that Kiri was backing them. I stayed away because, well, I didn't really know what to say to them if I did find anyone."

"Ayane Haruno," Hiruzen supplied, trying to grease the creaking gears in his student's brain. "Do you remember her?"

"Uh, yeah," Jiraiya tried desperately to think straight. "She…She tried to get Minato to go out with her." He remembered her primarily because of how persistent the Haruno had been. For every "no" she seemed to only hear "try again later."

"The official story, for those who have the clearance, is that she deceived Kushina on the night of the Kyubi attack. She told her that her husband and child had both died, encouraging her "friend" to seek comfort with family." The latter he was guessing at. "And, to us, she delivered the news that she had died due to complications, even writing out the death certificate as a token of gratitude to a dead friend." Jiraiya's face was cold and drawn, but his hands were balled into fists that shook at his sides. But the experienced shinobi was still in enough control to have heard _everything_ the old Sarutobi had spoken.

"Then what's the "unofficial" story?" He was fighting the urge to tear open the Forbidden Scroll and look up the Edo Tensei just to revive the Haruno and beat the holy Hell out of her.

Stopping at his desk, Hiruzen rested his fists against it, resisting the urge to vent his frustrations against the veteran office piece. "Would you find it odd that the person to discover Ayane Haruno's betrayal was none other than Danzo? That he had found out and had her summarily executed as punishment? And all within minutes of Kushina walking into my office, alive?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in understanding at what his teacher wasn't saying. "Because I do not find it odd in the slightest."

It'd been a long time for either man since they'd last wanted so badly to shed blood.

"And he's still alive?" It wasn't really a question. Hiruzen was never so heavy handed. He simply shone light on what they were both considering.

"I don't have enough proof for that, Jiraiya," the Sandaime huffed. "But if I do find it…"

"And the kid?" Hiruzen cringed a little. "I mean, I saw the kid with Ebisu a little earlier," he continued. "Does he know?"

"I cannot say for certain. Asking him is out of the question. You've read my communications, you know what he's been through." For all their years and experiences, both men felt the blade of shame twist in them. Each had their own responsibility for the boy's suffering. The Sandaime, for failing him at every turn, and Jiraiya for choosing the greater good of his work over being more present in his godson's life. Neither felt they even deserved to pity themselves for their failures in that. "I trust the boy implicitly, but he has experienced so much pain that I wonder if something like this might be too much. And he is so perceptive that I dare not test the waters for fear he might pick up on the truth." Walking around his desk, he slumped heavily into his chair. "I fear, my student, for the boy we've all damaged so. The weight of our sins on his shoulders could eventually crush him."

"So…how is the kid, anyway?" It was an attempt to diffuse the frustration that now gripped them both.

Hiruzen allowed himself a small smile. "I could be no prouder of him, Jiraiya. I simply wish it hadn't taken such tragedy for him to turn out as brightly he has. He was with Ebisu, you say?" Odd, he should be with Kakashi.

The toad Sannin nodded appreciatively. "Yeah. They were debating some deep stuff on jutsu theory so I left them be. It kind of surprised me, hence me actually coming to see you, you old monkey. Only to find you with your panties in a twist." The Sandaime felt a momentary renewal in his urge to strangle his student. The days of late had killed his appreciation for serendipity, and, if someone wasn't careful, it would kill them too, his hands the tools of Kami in that soon-to-be instance.

"These have been interesting times, Jiraiya," he admitted tiredly. Kushina aside, it had taken a lengthy correspondence to Iwa to convince the Tsuchikage that his genin had not found a descendant of the late Yondaime. He'd really had to sell Naruto's Uzumaki heritage for him to even get anywhere. Even now, he knew Oonoki doubted him. Paranoid old badger that he was, he didn't believe anyone. For now, he'd managed to assuage his fellow veteran into not declaring war.

"When was the last time you slept, old man?"

Looking up bemusedly from his hands, "I think it was a Tuesday," Hiruzen mused wistfully. "Or was it Friday?"

And he still had no idea of the other…issues.

* * *

Kiri, one week post preliminaries:

Newly instated as she was as the Yondaime Mizukage, Mei had found great acceptance to her position. After the oppressive, bloody reign of Yagura, the village and its people were overjoyed at the change.

Well, mostly.

From the start, she'd been forced to "clean house." A fair portion of the shinobi force had been unwilling to adjust. Yagura may've been gone, but their animosity towards her ilk, courtesy of Yagura stirring the pot, remained unyielding. They'd been offered clemency in exchange for renewed loyalty to the village, and its new leader, a grand offering given how many of them had been on Yagura's death squads purging the countryside of bloodline users.

Most bent, giving new rule a chance, some went rogue, and those that proved too violent to accept the regime were imprisoned until such a time that they could be trusted amongst people again.

From head anarchist to most recent Mizukage. She had no intention of letting the position go to her head. What she wanted…was to restore Kiri to its days of glory, before the purges and the "Bloody Mist" moniker. It was idealistic, but maybe that was why she had been so accepted as leader.

She was a statuesque woman, all the right curves in all the right places. Auburn hair down to the middle of her back, a hank bundled in a topknot of sorts, several strands falling over her eyes. It was a given that somewhere in her family history, she'd descended from an Uzumaki. As was her style, and prerogative, she wore a slinky blue dress, slit at the hip for movement. It clung to her curvaceous frame while also maintaining an appearance of stature. It was blue, as was traditional of all Mizukages' robes, not that she wore those stuffy old things.

But all of that in no way belied her power. There had been so few candidates for the position of kage level. A beauty though she was, and barely twenty, in the rebellion she'd more than proven her strength.

The latest update on the reformed ninja academy poised in her lap, she peered up from her tea, that ever-present smile adorning her lips. "What is it, Ao?"

The eye-patch wearing jonin had been one of her most trusted lieutenants during the rebellion, not only for his loyalty but his skill, and it was for that that he remained one of her most trusted shinobi. "We have word from our jonin in Konoha, as well as the Hokage."

Perking up interestedly, she gave more attention to him. A missive from the Hokage, in this situation, would most likely mean that one or more of her genin had made it to the finals. "Is it Miro or Kushina?"

"Miro, Mizukage-sama." She inwardly pouted. Of the two, she preferred Kushina. If not for her ferocity then because the fiery redhead had, for a time, trained her. She was something of a family figure to the orphaned bloodline user. "He reports that genin Doru Sinek, Shikaro Uzumaki, and Goza Mire have made it into the final round." Mei smirked triumphantly. Not a bad showing.

Given the academy had been closed during Yagura's last few years, most of the current genin had been trained by the rebellion. They turned out quite well considering the conditions through which they'd been taught. She was a little surprised that only one Uzumaki had made it through. The clan, ragged and recovering though it may be, had a tenacity that seemed to be genetic, passing on to every member. It was thanks in part to their assistance that the coup had succeeded. And, just like Ao, their loyalty and effort had been rewarded. Per their caveat to joining Kiri, they were allowed to recreate Whirlpool as a subsidiary of Kiri.

"Then I suppose the Hokage's letter is an invitation to the final matches?" Ao had her permission to screen some of the more official missives to save on time, and, as she'd forewarned him, he had been awaiting the letters now in hand. Outside of missions, he worked as her bodyguard and assistant, screening all the paperwork. What needed her attention she would get, anything else was relegated to the appointed village council.

Nodding formally, "It is, Mizukage-sama. The finals are to be held in three weeks."

Looking thoughtfully away, she shrugged before taking up her tea again. "Is that all?"

Shifting uneasily under her lazy gaze, "Um, there actually is, Mizukage-sama." Her sole visible brow rose. "A wrinkle, you might say."

In her mind though… "_You're getting wrinkles._" Twitching, she held her fury in check, only the deathly calm in her voice showing her feelings on the chosen wording. "What was that, Ao?" she asked far too sweetly.

Ao's brow beaded with sweat. "Um, that is, Miro has reported something odd." She hadn't attacked him yet, so he proceeded to argue the case of his prolonged existence. "As it turns out, there is a Konoha genin in the exam who bears the Uzumaki surname." Mei blinked and just like that the oppressive intent vanished.

"An Uzumaki in Konoha?"

Taking great relief in her puzzlement, Ao let out a sigh. Live to face death another day. Tragic, really.

* * *

Day 10

Bandages slipped through the air to pool at his feet as he unwrapped his arm. Gingerly, he flexed the digits, moving up through the muscle groups. From twitching his fingers to clenching his fist. From grasping a twig to lightly punching a log. He tested his healing appendage with all the care of one who expected to have never seen such again. It was healed up enough that all that remained of his pain was a phantom tingling along the extremity. All in all, it had healed much faster than either he or Kyubi had expected. Chalk it up to years of youki influencing the cells of his body, culturing resilience.

Good fortune had to smile on him sooner or later, right?

For the last several days, ever since his day of discussion with Ebisu, all he'd really been able to do was rest. Mostly. The advantage of being hindered physically was that his mind remained sharp. It allowed him the opportunity to work on, if not finish, a few small side projects.

Grabbing the sealed scroll off his writing table, he slid it securely into his vest's inner pocket. The contents being one of the "side projects" he'd been dabbling at. It was a consultation, really. Little more than that. Shinji and Momo in Research and Development had broached a work in progress with him and asked his opinion. They'd given him a few notes and the outline of their plan, and, after some careful thought between the teen and his demon, he had compiled their joint thoughts on the venture. He'd drop it off after lunch.

In regards to Kyubi… His sister had been rather quiet as of the preliminary fights. And only recently had she resurfaced. According to her, it had been to allow him his due "brooding emo" time, after which she cackled uncontrollably. He wanted to smack someone for that one.

But just the other night though, she had taken him into the seal while he slept, and proposed to him the most interesting thing. Something to take his fighting to…the next level. Learning it was still difficult given its complex simplicity. An ironic oxymoron.

Now though…

The night was comfortable, cool but not unpleasantly so, with an intermittent breeze. He'd taken to sitting on the roof of his apartment building, a mixture of relaxed contemplation and meditation under the moon, time meaningless.

His nose twitched, blue eyes blinking before reorienting. Climbing quickly but smoothly to his feet, he leapt away.

* * *

"Heh," the Suna Jonin smirked. His uniform had stopped the strike, surprising the Leaf ninja, but there were other tricks left to be shown. "But you can't stop a blade of _wind_," he lectured, bringing up his index and middle fingers together. Hayate's eyes widened as the fingers slashed outward.

He was scored from shoulder to crotch by the nigh invisible wind jutsu, world going a mix of red and black.

The colors any shinobi attributed to death.

-(Another scene break. These glitches are really annoying.)-

And that was the sight he was witness to from afar.

_Himself_ being more or less ripped in half and killed. It was a sobering sight if ever there was one. At his side, hand firmly upon his shoulder was Uzumaki, shushing him. From there, the Suna Jonin bolted and _he_ was left for the crows.

"What...what the Hell's going on?" he hissed at the genin, doing his best to hush his coughing. He _really_ didn't want to risk being exposed after being saved from death once already. The blonde teen's response though was to wobble.

"Reinforced…shadow clone." A miracle considering how his arm was still damaged and the disruptive seal still in place, hindering his jutsu.

And it was then that he noticed just how pale the usually unusually tan boy was, in far contrast from his normal skin tone. Catching the subtle dripping, he looked to see the blood pouring from a gash on his left arm. The Special Jonin's eyes widened in understanding. That could explain the blood…

"Used…blood," the boy confirmed. With blood, it offered plenty of splash while maintaining the body little bit longer due to the inherent chakra within the crimson fluid.

He'd been on his protection detail enough times to know just how flexible the boy's skills were. "Take…Hokage," the teen rasped, falling but to be caught by the perennial cougher. Taking the boy's words to heart, he chose speed over caution, only taking a moment to wrap a quick bandage to slow the bleeding before supporting the teen against him and bolting for the Hokage Tower as fast as he was able.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!"

Head snapping up from the reports before him, Hiruzen couldn't have ever said he'd expected the sight before him. The fairly unflappable Gekko Hayate looking tenser than he could recall ever seeing him, all the while supporting a profusely bleeding Naruto Uzumaki against his shoulder, the latter's eyes blinking dazedly. Most likely from blood loss.

"Hayate, what's the meaning of this?" he snapped, clearing the distance from the back of his desk to the pair at speed he'd not had to show in some time. Eyes immediately locked onto the bleeding limb and the rough patch job. "In the chair, Hayate," he instructed, taking Naruto's other arm. Seating the boy, Hiruzen knelt down to better examine him. Pulling down the boy's cloth facemask, he took in the pallor, or lack thereof, to his normally tan cheeks. Stepping back, he was back at his desk, rummaging around in a drawer before retrieving what he'd been so adamantly searching for. A blood replenishing pill. It was his secret stash. He would be no good to face the day if he lost a pint from every chapter of his student's books. A wise man planned ahead, especially for his…special time.

He knew that Kyubi would restore him, but he wasn't willing to take any chances, and decided to help it along at least. "Naruto, can you hear me?" he asked, loudly and right in his ear. The blonde grunted tiredly. "This is a plasma pill, Naruto," he informed, jamming the small orb passed the pale lips. "Try to swallow it." At first nothing, but then, with deliberate slowness, he saw the boys jaw start to move and could hear the grinding of the medicinal supplement between his molars. Smiling in weary relief, he looked to the special Jonin. "Report," he ordered crisply.

It was difficult, especially out of breath, but he did his best not to cough for the duration of his explanation. "Sir, tonight I was witness to a conversation between a Sand Jonin and the Leaf genin, Kabuto Yakushi, wherein they discussed plans of an attack." Gulping air greedily, he maintained the pace. "I was discovered. Uzumaki faked my death at the Sand Jonin's hands to save my life." All the while, the kage had been examining the Konohan Uzumaki. His pulse was incredibly shallow. Just how much blood had he lost?

"Jisan?"

He smiled wearily at the slurred whisper. It had been a very long time since the boy had referred to him so informally. "You're quite the mess, Naruto-kun," he chided, giving his best worried grandfather glare.

"…Seal," the blonde murmured.

Nodding quickly in understanding, he turned to the sword wielder. "Lift his shirt, Hayate." If he was confused at all by the request, let alone anything else that had happened during the last few hours, the Jonin didn't show it, instead only doing as instructed. Left hand clutching his right hand's wrist, the fingers of his free hand glowed one after the other. "Brace yourself, Naruto-kun." There was no telling if he was conscious enough to understand, but it was still better to make that assumption. Jabbing the five digits forward, his hand hit the blonde where he knew the seal to be. The swirl-centered, double-tetragram formation illuminated, followed by the five-pronged seal that had been so hastily added, but, as soon as all that appeared, the newest addition burned away. "There." It didn't surprise him at all to see that, almost on the spot, the boy's color seemed to improve. His face was no longer ashen and drawn.

Standing straight, back cracking audibly, the elder Sarutobi kept his eyes on the teen who was improving before his very eyes. "It has been kept under wraps, Hayate, but Kabuto Yakushi is a spy. As of the end of the preliminary stage of the Chunin Exam, his treachery was discovered." The deceptively skilled "genin" had made an attempt on the Uchiha scion while he was unconscious in the hospital, and forced a draw against Kakashi of all people by manner of fleeing. "We suspect he is working for Orochimaru." His wayward student did bring so much trouble to his doors.

Hayate grimaced. Not so much at the information, but at the unspoken trust and binding in being told all of this. But then, given what just happened, he might be too deep in to be kept out of the loop.

"Oro…chimaru," the blonde slurred, eyes open but blinking tiredly.

Once again, it was a surprise to all to see the proficiency of his healing.

"Don' wanna," he broke off and shook his head before groaning. Bad idea when still low on blood. "Don' wanna do that again." Ever so slowly, his speech was improving alongside his state of consciousness.

"Are you alright, my boy?" Hiruzen queried gently.

"I'll…be fine," he assured, still drowsy. "Had to reinforce my clone…with blood. It was the only way to make…it convincing." Already, he could feel the familiar warmth of his sister's youki bubbling within him, nurturing his body into restoring itself quicker.

"You really must stop worrying me like this," the Hokage chided, rubbing his brow. He wasn't too surprised to find dampness along his receded hairline. "Why were you there, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded. "That is the question isn't it? I've been suspicious of Kabuto ever since the beginning of the exams. It was nothing definitive at first, he simply felt…off." Hiruzen nodded. A shinobi lived through training, but survived by their instincts. "Then I started noting other oddities. His knowledge of the exam contestants, for one, is far beyond what a genin could have, no matter the number of times he's taken the test. He has the slightest scent of snake upon him, though it is covered well by the smell of disinfectant. You can't pick it up unless you're actually looking for something wrong about him. And before the preliminary fights, I am quite certain he lied when he excused himself, though that is just conjecture." Sighing, he pulled himself up straighter in his chair, removing the wraps to take in the pink skin that had once been a rough gash.

"All of which has turned out to be true," Hiruzen scoffed, shuffling back to his chair. Why did things always have to go bad in the crux of it all?

"It was simply chance that they were meeting not too far off from where I was. I had been meditating when I caught his scent along with that of the Suna Jonin's, and decided to investigate. Seeing Hayate-san, I decided to intervene as he seemed to be caught off guard by the wind user." Eyes shifting to the swordsman, "No offense intended."

Hayate shrugged. Hey, he was alive. "None taken." Hell, now he just had to explain to Yugao how he'd let his guard down. The irony of it all. Surviving the enemy…only to die at the hands of the girlfriend. A tale as old as time. He sweatdropped at that inevitable end that awaited him.

Sitting back in his chair, the hokage took a moment to consider the gravity of recent events. "I assumed something like this might be in store, given my former student's interference within The Forest." Removing his hat, he scratched his head in a brazen show of informality. Letting out a harsh breath, he took his pipe from his lips. "Hayate, I have a mission for you."

Glad to be in more familiar territory, "Sir?"

"From this point on until the Exams are over you are to remain incognito, and reside in the unused wing of the tower in Training Ground 44." Hayate balked. "For now, _no one_ outside of this room is to know you are alive. If either the Suna Jonin or the spy was to find that you had survived, he would no doubt believe that you had relayed the information of his meeting and all it entailed." Steepling his fingers, he regarded the pair before him: the downed blonde and the worried Jonin. "We must control the board. As long as they think you are dead, they assume that we are still in the dark on their plans. Which gives us an advantage."

Hayate gulped. Yugao…she would think he was dead, for at least two weeks. To Hell with her smacking him around for letting his guard down. For this…he'd be lucky to not end up in the ICU. And those were the punishments he'd receive if she took it easy on him. He loved her, but when someone pissed her off it brought out a mean streak that defied the laws of nature.

"I'm sorry to question you, Hokage-sama," he voiced. He was as good as dead, why hold anything back now? "But what you're asking will undoubtedly have me beaten to death by my girlfriend."

Despite the seriousness of the night, Hiruzen nodded sagely. "Then you die as a hero." He tried not to smile too broadly.

"I will send flowers," Naruto added, his fatigued stupor lending him levity.

Hayate wanted to cry.

* * *

Kakashi and Sasuke:

"Calm down, Sasuke. You'll never get the exercise down if you don't stay focused," the Copynin lectured from where he sat, nose buried in his Icha Icha. The sun had only been up for a few hours, and already the teen was showing frayed nerves. It was a day in, day out struggle to keep his head level. From the moment he dragged the boy out of the hospital, he had subjected him to speed training. Power could wait. If he didn't have the necessary speed, the power would be useless anyway.

Staggering, Sasuke snarled angrily. He ached and ached, but felt no difference in his strength. All he'd done for days now was run and run. "How is any of this going to help me get stronger? You haven't taught me any jutsus powerful enough to help me defeat that Suna freak!"

Eyes still on his porn, "Is it Gaara you're so worked up about facing? Or maybe Naruto?" The young Uchiha scowled fiercely, only affirming what Kakashi already suspected.

With a slow shake of his head, Kakashi glanced lazily at the seething boy. His normally apathetic gaze was filled with…disappointment. "Sasuke, I would think you'd know by now that you can't just butt heads with an opponent like Naruto."

"…" Sasuke just sulked.

Sighing at the lost chance to read his…literature…the Jonin shut his orange book and slid it back into his weapons pouch. Scratching his head, he thought over how best to say what needed to be said. He didn't hate the blonde jinchuuriki, not really. He was okay with him, while leaning more towards general disinterest. "Sasuke…you will never match up to Naruto in raw power."

That was it.

Sasuke knew it, or at least he suspected. Nevertheless, he sent a withering glare at his Jonin sensei with enough killing intent to level most Chunin.

Kakashi ignored it and continued. "What you need to understand, Sasuke, is that your teammate had Chunin level reserves by the time he was four, and without training." Sasuke stiffened. How was that possible?

"Right now, his reserves are high Jonin level." Sasuke remained frozen, and yet for all the disbelief, he couldn't deny it. "You can't fight him head on. His chakra capacity and potential are beyond what most shinobi reach in their prime. His stamina is at a level no one's should ever be at. He heals quickly. And, he has a quick, analytical mind that works with lethal efficiency on the fly."

"…So what are you saying, _sensei_?" Sasuke spat venomously.

"I'm saying that if you want to face someone like Naruto, and most of all walk away the winner, let alone alive, that you need to play to your advantages, not his. True, Naruto is stronger than you, but only in certain respects." At this the young avenger lifted his eyes to look at the Jonin with pure curiosity. Kakashi smiled, realizing he finally had the boy's attention. "Naruto specializes in ninjutsu and taijutsu, and with his monstrous reserves and stamina-" Okay, maybe he felt a little guilty about the term _monstrous_. Just a little. Maybe. "His lack of fighting experience aside, that makes him a dangerous opponent. However, he has his weaknesses which you should have picked up on by now. Let's list them, shall we?" Sasuke was listening like a rapt child. "What have you noticed about Naruto's chakra control?"

Sasuke thought back. "It's…horrible, for a genin," he mumbled, remembering how the blonde wasted so much chakra in his jutsus.

Kakashi nodded sagely. "Yes. The downside of Naruto's chakra reserves being so large from birth is that he never learned to control his chakra until it had reached the level of a low Chunin. And with its continuous growth-" he left the thread hanging.

"His control will always be terrible," Sasuke finished, realization dawning on him.

"Exactly, he may have more chakra, but your control, now, is beyond him. With the rate his chakra keeps increasing, he may never reach high Chunin level control," the Copynin surmised thoughtfully. "Okay, now, with that in mind, what else can we surmise?"

And like a light bulb, albeit an evil one, the Uchiha's eyes lit up. "Genjutsu," he said with a vicious smirk. "He can't use genjutsu, and that means he can't defend against it." Kakashi nodded.

"Among other things, I'm going to teach you a few genjutsu that may work on Gaara, and your teammate, should you fight him." Sasuke's sneering grin would have made most shudder.

* * *

AN/ And another chapter bites the dust.


	15. Painful Lessons

Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did, as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

_Hello_/Thought

**Hello**/Demon or Summon Speech

AN/ FYI, be ready. I'm almost ready to post the first 1 or 2 chapters of my Naruto/X23 crossover.

* * *

Chapter 15: Painful Lessons

(Day 15)

Forget the lazy curls. The pipe twixt Hiruzen's lips may as well have been a smokestack for the steady stream it belched into the air overhead. Smoking the flavored tobacco had turned from a habit into a compulsion as of the last few days. His one vice that always seemed to calm him…and here he'd been burning through several times his daily intake with ever diminishing return on his nerves.

Who could blame him?

Flashback (3 days prior, 12 days after the preliminaries)

The preparations were ongoing, and moving as smoothly and swiftly, not to mention quietly, as possible.

A knock on his door jerked his attention away from a handful of status reports. Hastily tucking them into his desk, "Yes?" The Chunin on duty stuck his head through the door.

"Hokage-sama, there's a Whirlpool Jonin here to see you."

Hiruzen's spine stiffened. "Send her in." No point in denying it. He knew exactly who it was. The question though was what she was here for. Who was he kidding? The way his luck had been going, almost mimicking Tsunade's, it _had_ to be her.

The Chunin's head disappeared from the doorway for but a moment before one of the twin doors was pushed open all the way, standing to the side to allow the kunoichi in question to enter.

"That will be all," Hiruzen informed, eyes never leaving the redhead before him. "In fact, why don't you take your lunch break, Saizo."

The Chunin frowned in confusion. "Sir?"

"You look hungry. You should go get something to eat," he pressed, adding a little emphasis to his suggestion. Sweating under the mild aura, the Chunin nodded shakily and backed out of the room. "Lock the door, please," being the last words he received before cutting a hasty retreat.

Klk-kik

Silence bore down on them both.

Hiruzen did not like the look in her eyes, the tension he could see.

"Kushina."

"I met my son." Reflexively clenching his jaw, he nearly bit the stem off his pipe. For its safety, he took it out and absentmindedly coddled it in his hands. Well... Blunt and to the point. There was little anyone could say to match that in regards to the weight it carried. Though, he guessed afterwards he'd be happy to have this particular landmine come along now rather than keep waiting in the wings. But that still meant he was screwed for the next hour at least.

Her tone though… It wasn't angry, but rather subdued.

"I see." Grimacing, his visage quite readily sagged showing age and fatigue openly. "Please, Kushina, sit. This will take some time."

* * *

It had been easy to come see him. In her time with Minato, she'd known the Sandaime and his wife for years. Coming to him for answers was easy.

Confronting _him_ though. She doubted her courage would hold for that. It was why she wasn't angry. Any other time she might've gone batshit on everyone in sight, but the first meeting with her son had left her shaken. She just wasn't ready. Fear of his rejection gripped the forefront of her thoughts like an icy vice.

Flashback End

The last he'd seen him, Naruto had made no mention of the events she spoke of. There was little doubt that the boy, no, young man simply didn't wish to talk of it. It'd occurred to him that Ebisu's previously unsuccessful search for him was likely so fruitless because of that horrid meeting.

But, he still had faith that he was recovering, and would continue to do so as long as he had people close to him, even if he couldn't see it.

He'd received an interesting report from Kurenai in that regard.

For now though, he was writing what had to be the third missive to the Tsuchikage, convincing him that his Genin had been hallucinating in the Forest of Death after being exposed to some of its psychotropic administering slugs. In other words he was lying through his teeth to by the young Uzumaki time. Time until he was prepared to take on the name of his father.

* * *

(Day 15) - Elsewhere

Training had been called for the day, insisted upon by Kyubi to which he agreed. So he retired to the hotsprings as a means to loosen the various tight and aching areas he'd strained during training.

Hand clenching under the water, he was reminded of the last several days and their effects. A pity he'd had to have the seal removed so soon. Another week and he might've gotten his control a little higher. As of though, his control had ascended several levels, so he wasn't going to complain too much. With the help of his shadow clones, hordes upon hordes, he figured it now stood at roughly high Chunin when he was at full capacity.

Letting his eyes droop, he relaxed in the water. It was uncommon for any side to be so empty. An infrequent blessing, he took advantage of the silence and solitude, attributed it to the hustle and bustle of the exams. Taking the cloth from his forehead, he rewet it in the water and returned it, letting out a small sigh.

"Geheeheeheeheehee…"

Well, not entirely silent, or alone.

There was actually a second person on the guys' side of the springs. Unlike himself though, this other person was taking advantage of another hotspring pastime.

He had noticed the other occupant not long after he'd come in himself, but never gotten into the water.

Leaving one logical conclusion.

"Heeheehee."

"**Please?**" For the last minute, Kurama had been pleading with him, rather childishly, to do as she asked. At first he'd held strong, but the giggling was starting to break his serenity. When it showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, and her whining had reached a piteous zenith, he caved.

Towel secured, he slipped out of the water.

It wasn't terribly difficult to find the offender. It was painfully easy as he was squatted in the open by the fence in nothing but a towel.

"Excuse me-"

"Move along, junior. 'm busy."

Okay, he'd given him a chance. Waiting for a moment until he knew the pervert's attention went entirely to his peeping, noticing the moment had come after a high pitched giggle from the other side and the man tensing, he acted.

* * *

CRKSH!

It came as rather a surprise to all when a white-maned man's head was thrust through the wood partition. There were only a few girly screams. But the rest…it was his bad fortune that a handful of the occupants were kunoichi. He had all of two seconds to gather his wits and get a wondrous glimmer before, eyes bugging, jaw going slack, he passed out from perv. overload.

* * *

Within the seal, Kurama threw both her arms into the air, "**NOW THAT"S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!**"

Dragging the man back by the ankle, and being certain not to look through the sizeable hole, "Sorry about that, please return to your relaxation."

"Brat?"

He tensed a little. Again…her. "Anko-san," he greeted informally. Using just enough peripheral vision to see that she was wearing a towel, barely, he turned just enough so as to let her know she had his attention.

"Nice job there," she praised. "Wish you didn't have ta give him an eyeful in the process though."

"I apologize again for the inconvenience. I'll inform the manager."

Smirking impishly, she grabbed the hem of the upper portion of her towel between her generously exposed décolletage. "See something you like?" she mewled huskily. To her credit he twitched, just a little.

That was exactly what she wanted, a reaction. "…I think I'll just take care of this then." For reference, never let it be said that he was immune to women. Socially desensitized he may be, and even rather rigid, but like most any other he was struck dumb by the fairer sex.

Thinking quickly, "I think I'll go take care of this," he answered, once more taking the unconscious man by the ankle, and dragging him off. No one seemed to mind that the man was facedown as he did so, the stones doing a number on his face…and likely his boner as it was likely he had one from the peeping, and probably quite painful.

"Maybe next time," she offered after him, and he shivered inexplicably.

* * *

Retreating to the far end of the guys' side of the springs, he went about waking the unconscious man as gently and efficiently as he could.

He kicked him into the water.

For a few seconds, he wondered if it'd been a poor choice. Given the large air bubbles popping on the surface. "_Did he die?_"

"**Better question: should we care?**"

"_I'm sure there must be a reason to._" Not that he felt any more urged to jump in and pull the man out.

But retrieving the sunken man proved unnecessary. The surface exploded a second later as the white-haired man came bursting through the surface, gulping for air like, well, a drowning man.

"AIR!" he gasped, spluttering and coughing before throwing himself against the stones lining the spring. "Dear sweet Kami, I thought that was the end!"

"You're alive then?"

But the man wasn't entirely receptive yet. "I saw virgins and everything, and there was the maker herself, with the biggest pair of-" Panting, he fell out of his musing and looked up, eyes turning violent. "You!"

"Me. What of it?"

Leaping from the water, he bore down on the teen glaring unholy death and hellfire. "Kick me in the balls, through a fence…into a haven of a bevy of kunoichi beauties," momentarily losing himself in fantasy before returning to his frothing rant. "Then you try to drown me, and that's your answer?!" He looked about ready to strangle the youth.

"Obviously. Again, what's your point?"

"GAAAHH!"

"KEEP IT DOWN OVER THERE, PERVERT!"

Veins bulging on his temples, he dropped his trembling arms, lest he later be judged guilty for a murder.

* * *

"You got a pair on you, kid," he griped, having slumped unceremoniously into the water.

Returning himself, the blonde was trying to relax, but the conversation was a hindrance. "What's your point?"

"Is that all you can say?"

Eyes closed, "No telling."

"Are you normally this difficult?"

The teen's head tilted forward a little, and he was silent in thought. "Not normally, no. It was advised that I try to get more in touch with my…juvenile side. I simply find it rather amusing for the moment."

Gawking unashamedly, the white-haired man palmed his face. "You are one strange kid."

"I suppose." Again with the short answers.

"What's your name, kid?"

Cracking an eye, he leveled a cyclopean eye on the bane of his solitude. "Naruto," he answered curtly.

"Fishcake. Heheheh." Chuckling, he stood up in the thankfully waist-high water. "Well, _I_ am the man who has no enemies anywhere! ENVIED BY MEN, LOVED BY WOMEN! I AM THE GREAT-"

"KNOCK IT OFF BEFORE I SHOVE MY FOOT UP YOUR ASS!" Anko roared from the other side, a rock smacking him right in the face, interrupting him.

"Jiraiya," he answered for the man who was currently clutching his head, whimpering in pain.

Seemingly immediately, the man gave up on the façade of being horribly wounded, though the bruise was still there, to look the boy dead on. "That's surprising. I'm that famous then?" he asked, grinning foolishly.

"Infamous," he corrected. "Your name is red-flagged in any hotspring registry." The pervert huddled over, twiddling his thumbs. It wasn't even from history or a Bingo Book. "And I happen to have occasional conversations with the Sandaime. You've come up in talk more than once." Craning his neck around, he sent him an analytical look. "But you know all of this." Jiraiya's eyes twitched back in his direction. "You've been spying on me for a few days now, and following me as of lunch today."

The now revealed Jiraiya fixed him with a relaxed glare before smirking. "Not bad, brat." In truth he was fairly impressed. Given, he hadn't been actively trying to hide his presence.

"More to the point at hand, I wouldn't put it beyond you to have…engineered this situation so that we might meet." Now Jiraiya grinned. Oh, the kid was sharp.

Or paranoid.

"Heh, that's pretty good, brat," he offered, leaning back against the rocks, pretense gone. He wouldn't deny some planning. Just a little. "You've got room for improvement, but still not bad." But Jiraiya's smirk immediately nose-dived into a fierce scowl. "Except for you kicking me through a wall and letting me drown." The blonde shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're still alive, so you have yet to drown," the teen countered casually. "And as for the previous… You should be more aware of your surroundings," he countered with just a pinch of insolence. The pervert twitched. Naruto blinked. "Did I miss something?"

The sannin beamed across at him. "Kudos for paying attention, gaki. But don't get cocky. Like you implied, I didn't hide myself."

"…Understood," he agreed. "Then might I ask why you are here?"

Jiraiya's smile returned smug. "What? I thought you were smart, gaki. Haven't figured it out?"

Naruto shrugged. "Just conjecture. Nothing substantial."

The sannin snorted, a mix of a laugh and a sigh. "The old monkey sent word for me a while back. He let me know when you started dabbling in seals, and asked me to take a look into your work." Technically a lie. He had been called back for the confrontation regarding Kushina, but he _was_ interested in learning more about the kid's progress. "Not only bringing in a new summoning contract, but drafting it yourself… That's…ambitious."

"I have a great deal of spare time between missions." And resources others did not.

"I'd figure training would get in the way."

"You've talked with the Sandaime regarding my situation?" The older man nodded. "Then you know that I take advantage of my shadow clones to their fullest." Jiraiya's smirk threatened to split his head in half. But he knew the rest of what the boy wasn't saying. He had no social life to speak of, so it was, to an extent, understandable that he was able to monopolize his time for such things.

"Kid, you've no idea how many people would love to have that kind of skill with clones." To create so many clones so easily, almost as breathing, you could count the number of shinobi with the chakra alone on one hand. The possible applications of such in sex was positively astounding, come to think of it. And this…youth was one of them. "Anyway, I thought I'd sit in on your training for a few days. I'd even like to see some of your work if you'd let me."

Both eyes opening lazily, the blonde peered into nothingness, seeing _through_ the world before him as he thought. "I suppose." It wasn't an entirely objectible idea. Jiraiya was famed for being an expert seal master. And there were many questions he had that were far beyond what the books and scrolls could answer. Questions of a language the Sandaime wasn't as fluent in.

* * *

(The Sandaime's Office, The Following Day)

Not bad. Jiraiya scanned the intricacies of the work.

He could see where the primary structure had been taken directly from the books, but there were features that were improvised, either as replacements for missing parts or attempted improvements. The penmanship was a little shaky, but that was the sort of thing that developed over time. With enough experience, the strokes would become far smoother, more rounded.

Usually, the summoning contracts were created by the animal clan and given to a chosen human, but this… He had gone right past that and created the contract on his own without the creatures' knowledge or consent, and had even been glowingly accepted by said summons. All of which would've been all-but impossible.

But there was an exception.

Kyubi.

The old monkey had mentioned the terms with which the pair existed, years back, in a letter after the incident. His lips curled a little at the memory of the letter.

But, back on topic. Interesting, really, how the pair seemed so in tune. At the same time, it made sense. In a way, it was perfectly understandable how he could advance so fast. Hard work and effort aside, though remembered, he had the faculties of not just himself but Kyubi at his disposal. He had no doubts that it was the fox who he consulted with.

Not one to judge, he'd leave it as simply interesting.

He had heard rumors of how deceptively intelligent the biju were. They were seen as destroyers, but he'd heard that they were far smarter than they appeared. The proof was in the ninja pudding he supposed.

But he could see other things as well.

The boy's training was…lacking. In some areas. He studied and worked towards individual projects, but was too focused to broaden his studies. If he had to guess, that focus was too fine leaving him missing much. That wasn't bad as he was already advanced for his age and level, but it wouldn't do in time to come. It was something he would have to talk with him about.

All of which were thoughts he kept to himself as he listened to the boy explain every little detail. He'd seen some of the boy's work beforehand though. It had come as quite a surprise when the old Sarutobi had unrolled the Forbidden Scroll, pointing out a certain jutsu, and passing on the small detail that a fourteen year old genin had come up with it.

At the time, his first thought was that the kid needed to get laid. Badly.

Still did.

Now though, he figured what he needed was a life. Something outside of the shinobi lifestyle. Hell, he himself would probably go nuts if not for the occasional…(cough) interlude.

As the dialogue wore down though, moments of contemplative silence grew more common and were harder to break out of. Content with relaxing in his chair with his pipe, forcing himself not to think about all the trouble of late and live in the moment, the Sandaime just sat and listened to the two-way debate over the young blonde's work. Moments like this, he could see the fire return to boy's rather reserved gaze.

"Naruto," he broke in at the latest bout of silence. "I've asked Jiraiya back to the village to offer you some council in your studies."

"Hokage-sama?"

"Your work is exceptional, my boy," he conceded. "But there are many things that books and scrolls are rather…wanting in. And he's agreed to offer a critical eye."

The blonde's brow furrowed. He could see the logic, but it wasn't something he'd been expecting. He wasn't averse to working with others. He could tolerate Team 7 and the other genin, if necessary, and he was quite adept when it came to working alongside the others in R & D, but Jiraiya was just so…

So…Jiraiya.

The Sandaime recognized immediately the fast-paced thinking of the teen. He would figure it out eventually, but it would be some time before he did. Jiraiya was intelligent, oh yes, but what he wanted to boy to observe more than anything was Jiraiya as a _person_, outside of being a ninja. Jiraiya had so much personality, he could only hope it would rub off on the boy.

Hell, he'd even settle for the quiet boy becoming a little perverted.

* * *

Several women of varying ages across the land felt the desire to caress a finely honed edge at that exact moment for no apparent reason whatsoever.

* * *

(3 Days Left)

For the most part, Jiraiya was a simple observer as the boy trained. He sat back and let him do his things. The teen didn't really have a set timetable for activities. The itinerary he lived by was flexible. He would train, but if ever an idea came to him he would stop and go off on a tangent, creating a shadow clone to write a few notes on his thoughts.

That had to be cheating.

Even for a ninja.

There was just no way someone should be throwing around a B-ranked ninjutsu like cheap kunai.

It was when he stopped to rest that he would sit in and argue the finer points of theory. Damn, but he was sharp. He saw right from the start that he wasn't a genius, but there was something to be said about his ability to see the ins and outs of the rules governing the ninjutsu. For a brief span, he had a horrible vision of a young Orochimaru sitting next to him.

At least until he spied on one of his visits to the hospital. Interesting. That was all he could think. That, and promising. One thing the wayward bastard hadn't had, correction, that he hadn't embraced was a connection to others in the village. Yet here the boy was trying to make those connections. He doubted he even knew he was doing it. Heh, he just had to take notes on the interaction between him and the young Hyuga. "Perfect," he murmured, ink pen poking out between his lips. Pervy though he may be, he was still a romantic at heart, and what he saw was gold. It'd need some perving up a bit, but he could see a good foundation for a new book. "_The emotionally crippled hero, his whole life spent in the dark, unknowingly seeks the light and finds it in the embrace of a woman who secretly loves him_."

Score.

It unnerved him how little the kid slept though.

Four hours a night, if that. He supposed it could be disturbing dreams, nightmares more likely than not with what he knew of his childhood, if it could even be called that. But, then, he remembered how his old teacher had described him as a child before the…change, bouncing off the village walls with excess energy.

No wonder he seemed so advanced. Outside of team missions, all his time and energy went into his work.

But, he didn't stay with him all the time. The case being what it was, he'd also sought out Kushina.

She'd always been such a firecracker. She didn't have Tsunade's superhuman strength, but her fierce temper more than made up for that. Visiting her, he'd seen such conflict in her. She buried it behind training her genin, but she'd been with Minato long enough that he could read her pretty well. Eventually though, he got the truth out of her; her side of the story up to meeting her child again. And there it was. A meeting that just had to have happened. It surprised the Hell out of him that the boy hadn't finally melted down. He pushed for her to confront him again, but she'd shrunk away from his insistence like a slug to salt.

He could see the fear in her, and he could understand it. But, as he'd told her, she couldn't hide from her mistakes forever.

And he was still her son.

* * *

(Back to the present)

"You got a plan?"

"…Several," the blonde admitted. Leaning over papers of scribblings on his second-hand coffee table, he paid little attention to the hermit sitting against his window. He'd been there for several minutes, just slouching against the frame as he worked.

Anyone else might've been irritated by the almost apathetic response, but Jiraiya was better than that. He had little doubt that the teen _did_ have a plan, with at least one or two backups.

A good habit in their profession.

Remembering something, "Hayata sends his regards, by the way." At mention of the blonde seated before him, the swordsman had started grumbling fitfully to himself. He'd not had that difficult of a time figuring it all out. As he'd come to understand it, the swordsman was waiting for the feared day when his mourning girlfriend found out he was still alive.

Considering he knew who Yugao was…

The poor sod. Rescued from death, only to find out that his execution would be rescheduled for a later date, to be carried out by a wrathful girlfriend.

Taking a moment, the blonde straightened up, stretching his back. "Still upset then," he mused mainly to himself, adding a few more scratchings to the paper. It was just his latest side-project, a small improbability thrown his way by R & D. Unfortunately, while he did come up with a few interesting ideas, noted in the margins, this proved to be one of the frequently fruitless endeavors. Kana would be disappointed, but she, like all of R & D, knew that no prospect was guaranteed.

"So…"

"Yes?"

Jiraiya scowled. "You gonna tell me what your plan is?"

"Now that would be telling." It was by far the closest he'd ever seen the boy come to humor. And it was definitely the most he felt like sharing…with _him_. Just a day prior, the white-haired man, seeking to test his mastery of drawing out Kyubi's power and summoning all in one go, shoved him into the chasm just south of the village. Even tempered he may be, but the sannin's actions had left him in a restrained conniption fit for the better part of a day, no matter how he'd tried to placate him.

Despite that iron-like control, he still belted the man across the jaw for that one. Of course, that action might've been due to the toad hermit's comment that he needed to "lighten up." And if not that, then the following mumble "You really need to get laid."

* * *

(Days Left…0)

Calm.

That was usually the best word to describe his outward appearance. And, in fact, that was quite often how he felt on the inside too.

Pulling a matte-grey vest on, he took one final look over the weapons lined up neatly on his bed. To the average ninja, one might say that he needn't a tenth of the wares laid out before him. However, he had always been one to believe that being over-prepared was good policy. Still, this was almost double his usual stock.

And for good reason.

The others would be ready for the tournament; he would be ready for what followed. And if need be he could pass supplies to those in need.

Finding everything satisfactory, he sealed everything back away in their appropriate scrolls, wherein he then slipped them into various pockets on his pants and in his vest.

His mirror showed nothing new. But there was so much more there than was often the case. Calm…and yet not. He knew what was coming, but that wasn't in the forefront of his mind. No, despite the seriousness of the hours to come, he found himself oddly focused on one Neji Hyuga. The serenity of his mind was offset by an almost imperceptible…eagerness. He wasn't one to seek battle, but he nonetheless looked forward to the confrontation that was just an hour away.

More than once he'd debated with the Sandaime about the core of ninja traits. To put it bluntly, a ninja was a mercenary, if a highly skilled one. Ironically, it was in those conversations that the samurai came in as well. He understood that there came a time when something _needed_ to be done, nothing else for it. At the same time, he had always felt that there was something to be said about the inherent nobility to the samurai and their grasp of honor.

And as such he'd found many ninja who tried their best to embody what they considered the best of themselves. Kakashi aside, he'd met many Jonin who defied the stereotypical ninja mold. Most notably to come to mind being Gai. Gai was a fierce ninja, but was guided almost unerringly by his code of ethics. As were many others.

These trains of thought all linking back to Neji Hyuga.

The blonde wasn't the most friendly or open person, far from it, and he knew as much, but even he knew that there were some things that simply weren't done. And Neji showed no signs of remorse, and still had yet to.

Something soon to be corrected.

All was as prepared as it could be. All there was to do now was wait.

Taking a moment, he took a breath. Pulling up the cloth mask, covering the scar-like birth marks, he left.

* * *

It was decades of experience that kept the unfaltering ease on his face, in his step. An ease that was quite fake.

"Hokage-dono." Okay, so maybe there was _one_ thing at hand that could take his mind from the problems to come. "_Eyes up, you old coot,_" he reminded himself. Kami, but she was stunning. It was probably good that Jiraiya wasn't in the box. He could see that international incident coming a mile away.

Removing the smoldering pipe from twixt his lips, he gave the woman a smile followed by a respectful bow. "Mizukage-dono," he greeted in return. "Let me officially welcome you to our village." As was the case, each kage in attendance was allowed one bodyguard at their side while in the reserved box. It came as no big surprise to see Kushina behind her. In truth, there were few fighters that could match Kushina in a straight up fight, so fierce was she.

Neither kage spoke of their respective pasts. Particularly how Konoha had steadfastly stuck to the sidelines during Kiri's bloodline purges or the soon-after tumultuous coup. No, there were no hard feelings there at all. But both, as village leaders, knew not to let such things decide every little thing. "How could I resist the temptation of seeing a Kiri genin _win_ this tournament," she needled, getting a modest twitch of a smile from the aged kage. "And then there is the mystery of an Uzumaki in your village." Different kind of twitch entirely. "I find myself intrigued by this…situation."

Well, he supposed someone had to find it amusing…eventually.

* * *

Time left as there was, he had not rushed to the arena. What was the point? Everything happened in the fullness in time. The tournament, and what followed.

Without Hayate, Genma had been assigned the niceties of refereeing the fights. He was a Jonin with whom Naruto had a fair bit of experience. He was an…okay person. Somewhat like a Jonin version of the eternal Chunin Izumo and Kotetsu. A respectable shinobi, just casual.

It was him that appeared among the select few genin and led them out onto the floor of the arena, just ten minutes before the matches were to begin. They were not all there, but there was no longer time for simple lollygagging, as he'd referred to it.

In a line, they stood before the collective gazes of the stadium. Civilians, ninja…locals and foreigners…kage of several nations.

At the far end, Genma looked down the line. "Alright, quit your fidgeting and stand proud, everyone. You're here as shinobi, not kids." A few postures straightened at his reminding. "Listen up, genin. The lineup has changed." Heads swiveled around, looking away from the audience to give him their full attention. "Dosu Kinuta has…disappeared, we'll be continuing on without him. As such, one of you will be getting a by for the first round. Do the math. Aburame, that's you." By the original lineup…Dosu would have been Shino's opponent. The stoic Aburame's brows rose a fraction before he gave an impassive shrug. In the exams, a pass meant little. In fact, it could actually hinder as you lost the chance to showcase your "talents".

Kankuro snorted. "Feh. So bug-boy gets a freebie." Shino sent the puppeteer a measured gaze down the line, but said nothing.

"Hey, blondie, where's your teammate?" the Jonin queried.

Unaffected by the Jonin's blasé attitude, he shrugged. "I wouldn't know," he replied casually. "Perhaps Hatake-san's lateness is starting to rub off on him." Judging from Genma's small appreciative smirk, his attempts at humor were getting better. In regards to his teammate and team captain…he had absolutely no idea where they were. He didn't all that much care, either, but that was beside the point.

* * *

(7 Minutes Later)

Pushing himself up from his chair, Hiruzen stepped out into view at the VIP box's edge. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. "Welcome all, friends, strangers, and allies to this the biannual Chunin Exam." The design of the stadium helped his voice to resonate throughout, but he still had to raise his voice. "Before you, today, stand the best and brightest of this exam. Genin who hold the desire and skill to strive to become Chunin. Today, they fight for rank, and the glory of their respective villages! Let the tournament…COMMENCE!" arms, previously raised, falling back to his sides, the stadium filling to the brim with the oceanic roar of the crowd, crying out in anticipation.

His words done, he turned and walked the few feet back to his seat among the other two kage. Behind him, the cheers of the audience still sweeping through the crowd.

"Well spoken, Hokage-dono," the Mizukage praised. "But I see that the vaunted Uchiha isn't in attendance."

Hiruzen withheld his grimace. "Yes, he and his sensei have yet to make an appearance. If he does not arrive soon, he will have to be considered for disqualification."

The Kazekage leaned over in his chair. "Isn't that a bit harsh, Hokage-dono? There are many people here who've come just to see the fight between him and Gaara."

"_You always did like to watch,_" the aged kage thought derisively. His snake of a student had always liked to sit back and watch his prey struggle. In this case, he doubtless reveled in the delusion of control that he believed himself to have over the situation, not knowing how much of his plan was out. But, trading the view of the forest for that of the tree, he knew that young Sasuke's growth was of keen interest to him as well. Why, he was still unsure of, but he knew such interest was an ill omen.

Outwardly though, he frowned in concentration before seeming to make up his mind. "He will be given more time," he finally conceded. "You speak the truth in this, Kazekage-dono, but there will be consequences. We will push his match to last. Should he arrive in time for his match, he will be allowed to fight." The Kazekage actually seemed to relax. "However, for his tardiness he will not be allowed promotion in this exam." Motioning to the Jonin at his shoulder, the shinobi vanished down to the field, delivering his words to Genma.

The Mizukage nodded. "An acceptable compromise," she agreed. "And a fitting punishment."

Meanwhile, down below…

* * *

Appearing in a leaf shunshin, the Sandaime's guard appeared before the filed genin. "Genma, news from Hokage-sama."

"Oh?"

"As Sasuke Uchiha is not here, his match will be pushed back. If he does not arrive for the match, it is forfeit. This is the order of the Sandaime."

"Yeah, yeah," Genma retorted, waving dismissively. When the Jonin disappeared back to the Hokage's booth, "You heard the man. The match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara will be moved to last." Gaara looked as impassive as a rockface, but anyone could see irritation in his sea-green eyes.

"_Be patient, mother,_" he cooed to the bloody rage that roared through him. "_I _will_ give you the blood you desire._"

* * *

(In the stands)

"Aww, man, this sucks," growled a young woman, not much older than the participants of the exam. She was a foreigner though. There were very few in the region with a skin tone like hers. Her skin was a rich, dark mocha, offset by deep red hair and eyes of amber. "Not a one of them's of our village…and we're stuck in the nosebleeds." Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest, grumbling on to herself.

"Karui, keep it to yourself," the eldest of their group advised curtly. She was a slender young woman of about sixteen or seventeen with long blonde hair woven into a single plait down to her shoulder blades. She was Yugito Nii, sub-captain of the team. Standing in for their sensei who couldn't make it for being so…ostentatious and well known. But she would do her best to reign her friend and mentor's genin in for the time being,

Karui, brazen as sandpaper, sat to her left, suddenly taken to sinking into her seat, mumbling grumpily to herself. To her right were Samui and Omoi, respectively. "You should calm down, Karui," Omoi advised nonchalantly, scratching his nose in show of just that, as he rolled a sucker between his lips. "What would happen if all your talk got you into an argument with some Leaf nin? That could cause an international incident and-"

"Cram it, Omoi!" the feisty redhead growled, interrupting him. Despite his absurd talk, Omoi was in fact very intelligent. Like Karui, he had a deep brown skin tone, but his hair was a ragged, close-cropped off-white, a pale blonde.

Yugito groaned. She'd better get overtime for this. All three were new Chunin, and while good, had their…quirks. Karui had a mouth on her, and a temper to match. Omoi could be a bit of an asshole, always overthinking. And Samui… Well, to be honest, she'd never had much of a problem with Samui. Samui was the same age as her, yet had the reserved attitude of someone many years older. She was quite attractive, based on popular opinion. More often than not the chosen word of the masses was "stacked". Chin length blonde pleats framed her elegant features nicely, accompanied by a soft, milky skin tone and pale blue eyes made her quite the looker to many, but that was a trap for anyone who was stupid enough to underestimate her based on her features.

"Raikage-sama asked us to report on the latest crop of genin," she reminded. "So deal." This was a low-key mission. They were merely here to observe. If someone of their village had been in the finals, the Raikage himself might've shown, but since none had, they'd had to get tickets instead. It was also why none of them was packing their heavier ninja gear. Rules and regulations.

Unlike her teammates, the only complaints Samui ever really voiced were that her shoulders and back ached. A humble brag in regard to her blossoming cleavage. "Karui, keep a lid on it. Omoi…stop provoking her." She was doing this as a favor, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to get her fair share.

A week of B not rapping…

It was almost enough to bring tears of joy.

Not far away from where Kurenai sat, Anko at her side, were the remainders of Team 8. Kiba and Hinata, the former with his ninken draped over his head, were separated from their sensei by just a few rows.

Regardless of her belief in the living enigma that had so enraptured her, Hinata could not prevent the small inklings of worry towards him in this match. He was strong, no one knew that better than her, but so was Neji.

Doubts aside though, she had faith in him. Faith that he would win.

* * *

(00:00)

"Alright, then." Stepping out to the front of the genin, Genma cleared his throat. "The tournament is officially begun. The first match is between Neji Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki." His raised voice reverberated through the suddenly hushed stadium before quieting back down as he addressed the young shinobi around him. "The rest of you, please exit the stadium floor and wait in the observation box." The other assorted genin broke ranks, heading back for the exit, except for two. Neither Neji nor Naruto moved all that much from their original positions.

The floor clear of anyone else, Genma moved between the two. "Okay, you two, remember: you're shinobi of the Leaf, so give a good showing and make your village proud." With a weak shunshin he moved back about fifteen yards to give the teens some room.

They were separated by a scant few meters. Though distance meant little. Throughout Genma's instructions to them, an intense, if not outright hostile, stare-down had begun.

One pair of eyes, milky white, reflected confidence.

One pair of eyes, deeper blue than was often seen, reflected resolution.

"I must admit," Neji began, breaking the silence. "While I am unsurprised you've made it this far, Uzumaki-san, it is rather intriguing that we should be paired in the first match of the finals. Fate, it seems, wishes to challenge me, if just a little."

Across from him, the blonde's eyes flickered with the barest hint of annoyance. It had always been bothersome when Neji began his monologues. It was all so…preachy. He'd seen this attitude more than once when he stepped in to the training with Team Gai. In fact, he had even fought Neji more than once in the occasional spar, so he knew that the Hyuga was skilled.

But he knew _other_ things also.

"I frankly do not care, Hyuga-san," he answered evenly. "While we could debate your beliefs, they have nothing to do with the here and now." His eyes narrowed harshly, "Though I would greatly like to discuss your view on family, it can wait, for the moment."

"You can start any time now," Genma reminded.

"Indeed." Settling into a loose stance, he faced Neji. "Let the battle of wills begin."

Neji smirked, "Your fate was sealed the moment you were paired with me. You can't win," but, he too chose an attack-ready posture.

"There is only one way to find out."

As one, both teens hurtled forward.

They had both observed one another in action, so Neji wasn't all that shocked at the straightforward punch, used as a feint for an elbow strike to the back of the neck.

The Hyuga bent like a reed before his blow could connect, but his attack was still ongoing. Bending to the side to avoid his descending elbow, his right knee shot up, seeking to plant itself in the clan shinobi's chest.

That last addition was new, but Neji, feeling the rush of wind from the missed strike brush over his head, brought his palms down, pushing off from the rising knee, and sealing a small grouping of tenketsu on his thigh in the process before pushing himself away from further retaliation. Quite the coup. Still, he would admit to the…vigor in his opponent's attacks. Landing back several feet, he prepared himself to go on the offensive. Now was the time, while the closed tenketsu hindered the Uzumaki's mobility.

"You're fighting well," he praised, while not actually praising. "You're not usually this…impatient." A subtle barb.

Favoring his leg, he regarded Neji. "I do not often let myself feel disappointment in others," he explained. "Disappointment like what I feel for you, Hyuga-san."

Maintaining his composure, internally Neji rolled his eyes. "_That_ issue is none of your concern," he retorted coldly.

"I have made it my concern." His leg would be a problem. Correction. It would be a problem…for a moment. "Consider this a learning experience." He had shown weakness, and raised Neji's beliefs in his own victory. Good. He flared a little of his chakra, as much out of show as of necessity, and charged back in.

The pair dodged and twisted, launching and evading attacks. Neji's confidence never wavering.

"I have seen you train with my teammate. You have skill, true, but no _natural_ talent," he monologue tauntingly. "You're like that fool, thinking that hard work will get you through."

"…Talent alone can only go so far," he countered bluntly. Neji's gaze hardened. This was what made the blonde a difficult opponent. His ever high stamina and chakra reserves meant he could last interminably in a fight, unless you could neutralize that. His burst of chunin level chakra output reflected no sign of fatigue just yet.

Hands rushing through seals, Naruto took in an exceptionally deep breath. "_Wind Style: Air Bullets!_" and spouted off a volley of near invisible projectiles, all as little more than distortions in the air as they speedily converged on their target.

It was difficult, but with his Byakugan tracking the chakra in the wind element attacks, he deftly maneuvered around the projectiles. As the last passed him by though, "Impressive, but it will take more than that to convince me you have even a chance."

"I am aware of that," Naruto readily agreed, a half dozen clones shimmering into existence alongside him, and, as one ran through the same hand signs. "Wind Style: Air Bullet Barrage!" they chorused and unleashed their synced attacks.

"_To be expected,_" Neji thought, dodging the attacks, noticing that in their vastly increased number they were effectively blanketing all of his escape vectors. "_It would be you to push me to this,_" he mentally sighed. Why could he not understand the futility of it all? Still, credit where it was due. He had no choice but to play his trump card.

Chakra surged out of his tenketsu, blanketing his body.

* * *

(In the stands)

Hiashi Hyuga's eyes narrowed in scrutiny and disbelief. "It can't be…" he mumbled, the words like cotton in his mouth. All Hyuga knew how to alter the flow of chakra through the tenketsu, but, this attack…an attack reserved for the Main household…

* * *

"Rotation!" And, as the name implied, the Hyuga spun around on the spot. Not even bothering to dodge the attacks, he took them head on. A barrier of twisting chakra, whipped up on the fly, came to protect him, the attacks washing across it like rain against a wondow.

* * *

(In the stands)

From the Hyuga clan's reserved box, Hiashi Hyuga tensed in further bafflement at what he was seeing.

Hiashi knew that Neji was strong. A celebrated prodigy. This was just another example of why he was called that. His nephew had been a jewel in the clan, representative of the Hyugas' prowess and ability.

Rotation was an ability taught to and reserved for the Main family. And he knew with some certainty that none within would have taught such a skill to one of the Branch family.

Beside him, Hanabi was just as confused, but voiced her thoughts. "But that's-"

"It's a secret technique of the Main Branch," he ground out, brow furrowed. '_To think, that he would come across the technique on his own, without being taught. A Hyuga cut off from the line of ascension… Truly, brother, you were denied your birthright._'

* * *

So, he was right. He'd suspected that Neji could know the Hyuga clan's Rotation. It was considered something of an advanced move due to its necessary chakra draw and the control needed.

Just as quickly as it had flared to life, the barrier fell, leaving an unharmed Neji in its wake, albeit several inches lower considering the way the technique had also scoured the earth around him. At the same time, the number of blondes on the field was reduced back to one, each having been given only enough chakra to exist and attack before failing.

He had let his opponent have the first attack, failed though it had, then, twice against his agility and ultimate defense. He had been forced to reveal an ace, but now it was his turn to go on the offensive. "Normally, I'd draw this out, but I know what happens when someone gives you an opening," he declared.

Lips curling into a confident smirk, he jumped forward, disturbing the cloud of lingering dust from his Rotation, his spurt of speed sending him right past Naruto, exactly where he intended. Inside his guard. "You're in range. Eight Trigrams-"

Naruto started turning.

"Two palms!"

* * *

(With Hiashi)

Did the surprises never cease. All Hyuga knew how to alter the flow of chakra through the tenketsu point, but, like the Rotation, this too was an attack exclusive to the Main family.

At least it used to be. Neji had discovered these technique on his own. There was no other explanation. He felt shame in that realization. One as strong as he…and ineligible to lead the clan.

* * *

Elsewhere in the stands…

Soft, lavender tinged white eyes, were locked on the combat. She had faith in him, believed in him to a fault.

…But that didn't stop her from worrying.

* * *

"Two Palms!"

"Four Palms!"

Beneath his attacks, the blonde retaliated with a flurry of nonsensical movements, apparently trying to brush away the attacks with his hands.

"Eight Palms!"

Still, again he found his attacking fingers meeting the blonde's hands.

"Sixteen Palms!"

He was blocking him! Every strike! Now that he knew that something was amiss, he could see the glow of chakra concentrated in his opponent's hands. There was simply no way.

"Thirty-two Palms!"

Wherever he moved in his attack, there was always a palm or finger to meet it, negating it!

All or nothing! "Sixty-four Palms!" and unleashed the final barrage, a flurry of precision attacks.

Gasping, out of breath from the exertion and agitation, "How?! It's not possible!"

Arms out, stance loose, the blonde remained where he'd been standing throughout the attack.

* * *

(Naruto's PoV)

"Eight Trigrams-"

Blue eyes flashed in readiness. His world slowed, and he closed his eyes.

"Two Palms!"

"Four Palms!"

"Eight Palms!"

-Flashback-

'_Has the rock ever feared?_'

-End Flashback-

Kyubi's words echoed in his mind. '_Has the rock ever considered avoiding?_' Taking a deep breath he released it, feeling his body relax, preparing. '_The only thing the rock does…is let the water flow around it._'

"Sixteen Palms!"

The blonde was meeting the Hyuga blow for blow.

"Thirty-Two Palms!"

"Sixty-Four Palms!"

Attacks were either blocked or diverted, no matter their target, angle or location.

* * *

Neither fell. Neji's pale eyes burned with furious hatred. "How?! It's impossible to stop my Eight Trigrams!"

"Obviously not, Hyuga-san," Naruto responded impassively. His hands smoked from the clashing chakra discharges. "You have your defense, and so do I. This is the Seikuken, my sword and shield." His arms slowly waved rhythmically around him in smooth, purposeful movements before stopping in a loose stance.

That alone was enough to rile him. "Your leg…" the teen began, fervently trying to rationalize the situation. "With your tenketsu disabled, the chakra flow disturbed, you shouldn't have been able to move like that!"

"That would be because they are _not_ closed."

Neji blanched, but, under scrutiny, he realized it was the truth. "But-"

"A closed tenketsu is like a pinched pipe," the blonde answered lowly, so that just Neji could hear. "Enough pressure in that one spot, focused, and it can reopen. Though it is somewhat painful." For anyone else though, such a maneuver could be problematic. It was indeed painful, more so than he let on, but, more to the point, it relied on his own high chakra levels, the density of his chakra, and the elasticity of his own chakra network that'd had a lifetime of adjusting to the strain of carrying a biju.

Neji bared his teeth in anger, but the answer was plain. The sudden show of chakra! He had used it for the wind attack, but also to draw attention away from his other intent: reopening the points that'd been closed.

"I see questions in you," Naruto mused. "You are a prodigy, Hyuga-san. Talent has been your boon, bringing things to you with greater ease than to others. By that reasoning, you are weak. Everything I am, I have made my own through time and effort. Lee understands, as does your sensei. You lack the experience of failure, of struggling, of earning your skill through blood, sweat, and pain." Dropping his stance, he straightened. "How can you appreciate your skill, truly know its limits, if you accept your ability and never push it? Success grants nothing beyond that, but it is fleeting. Through defeat, one changes, adapts, and grows."

* * *

Once more, the Hyuga in the private box were a gathering of grumblings.

"They are mocking us," Shinji, a Main Branch elder growled distastefully. "The Branch boy for failing, and the other…boy…for his insolence."

But Hiashi was deaf to their mutterings, focus narrowed onto his nephew.

* * *

"Your talent has made you weak, Hyuga-san," Naruto chastised. An unexpected blow from behind sent Neji stumbling forward, right into the path of a discreetly created clone, who proceeded to uppercut him with enough ferocity to launch him off the ground. But it didn't end there. He was absorbed into paired sensations of flying through the air separated by harsh moments of pain.

One after another, a clone kicked or punched Neji upward, gaining precious feet.

But that was not his endgame.

Clones forming in the air, each launched a hit or a kick, before being used as a stepping stone by the original.

Using the momentum granted by his clones, he soared far above the flailing Hyuga prodigy. _Now_ was the time. Twisting in air, he began rolling on his axis even as he and Neji closed distance.

"Understand this, you contemptible jackass-" Of the people who knew the blonde, they stiffened, as the boy was never this verbose, and never so abrasive. His speedy descent bringing him within range of the "prodigy", he swung his entwined fists down like a hammer. "HARD WORK WILL ALWAYS SURPASS TALENT!" releasing an unholy roar just as his attack came home.

Twin cries of "Yosh!" echoed from among the audience at his…youthfulness.

'PHWAM!'

The sound of the connection reverberated through the arena. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet just yet.

The Hyuga was shot at the ground like a meteor, his short flight ending in a sickening 'Crunch' and a small cloud of dust as he created a Neji shaped imprint. So great was the force behind the hit that he was propelled upward once more, allowing him more than enough time to orient himself to land lightly not too far from the crater.

* * *

Fighting, sweat, broken bones, blood…and that awe inspiring ass-kicking… It was practically orgasmic!

She knew it was coming, her body trembling uncontrollably as it surged through her. She couldn't hold it in! Finally, unable to restrain herself anymore, Anko shot to her feet. "CAN I GET A 'HELL YEAH!'?"

"HELL YEAH!" the audience cheered. Or, at least, the Chunin duo Izumo and Kotetsu, as well as Kiba and the sensei of Team 8, Kurenai, roared in agreement.

* * *

(The Kages' Box)

The Mizukage had, through the fight, leaned forward in her seat on the desire to see everything below. She had been enthralled by the prowess the blonde exhibited on the field. A fascinating _specimen_ amongst men.

Hand coming up in a show of contemplation, she subtly wiped away the small bit of drool that'd gathered.

The match had been something of an upset, given the reputation of the Hyuga, and of clanless shinobi in general.

"A bit brutal, Hokage-dono," she remarked. "For one facing a shinobi of the same village." Raising an eyebrow, she sent the aged man a sidelong, questioning glance. "Is there some…quarrel between them?"

The Raikage wasn't as gentle about it. "Kinda hard not to figure that out," he grumped. He had no love for the Hyuga, but he wouldn't say he hated them either. What was the point? Still, there'd been a fierceness in the victor that none of them had expected given the nature of the tournament. "The Hyuga obviously pissed him off somehow."

The Sandaime coughed embarrassedly. "It concerns the preliminary matches," he supplied, seeing no harm in the answers he would provide. "Suffice it to say, young Naruto is driven by something as old as it is grave…the mistreatment of a woman."

While the Raikage nodded lazily, indifferently, the Mizukage's attention was quirked.

The Kazekage hummed to himself. "Yes, I do remember hearing the genin from my village speak of such a match."

Leaning back in her seat, Mei's head tilted to her subordinate. "A very…promising shinobi, don't you think?"

Behind her, Kushina felt the oddest twist in her stomach. "He's a little _young_ for you, Mizukage-sama," she whispered back a little briskly, to which Mei snickered cutely. Horrible though her relationship was to this, her son, shamed though she felt, there was also a feeling of protectiveness for him.

Even if he never forgave her.

The mother in her, unrealized for all these years, felt a similar urge to do some beating as well.

"_What's a few years?_" Mei considered.

* * *

(Back on the field)

Body frozen by pain, Neji could only lay there as the Uzumaki's steps grew louder. Until, finally, he was eclipsed by the blonde's shadow. "I did not come here for promotion, Hyuga-san," he explained out of the blue. "I care not for such. I came here to deliver a message."

Neji might've interrupted, if he wasn't certain that his jawbone had been cracked in his earlier ascent. But the fire he was unaccustomed to seeing in Naruto, was enough to quell the urge for good.

Cold fury blazing anew in his eyes, he gave off an exterior of serenity as he approached the downed Hyuga. The boy's eyes were distant, but he was still conscious. If barely. Looking down at him with bare contempt, "So then, Neji-san, to the crux of the issue. If I ever see you fight someone simply to be cruel and inflict pain, again, we will have words once more, and I won't be as gentle. You know I can hurt you very easily, now." Sighing deeply, the fire in him abated, returning to him that exterior of a rather apathetic genin. "You say that you are fated to win, and yet we can both see plain that I am the victor. So, which is it? Is fate wrong? Have your own eyes deceived you? Or is your interpretation of fate wrong? Thoughts to ponder," and started walking away.

As they'd had their one-sided conversation, Genma had taken his time to leisurely stop across from them. "Alright, that's enough of that then." Clearing his throat, "The winner of the first match: Naruto Uzumaki!" And the crowd erupted into a cacophony of resounding cheers. Many had lost bets on the match, but it had been interesting enough to at least make up for it in part.

Without a word, the blonde bowed to the kages' box, turned and walked away. "Wasn't that a bit…much?" he muttered to the blonde as he passed by.

Hesitating for but a moment, time enough to answer, "I gave my word I wouldn't maim or cause him undue harm. He is alive and will recover…eventually. I have kept my word."

Genma grinned amusedly. "Hmm…I'll allow it," he answered back as the blonde continued off, back to the competitors' box.

Eyeing the downed genin as the pair of medics swept out from the walls, Genma couldn't help a small, knowing smirk. "_Your bad luck, kid. That kid doesn't give a lick about fate._" He mentally scoffed. Most Jonin knew him well. Naruto believed in himself; what he knew, what he could do. In retrospect, he and the Hyuga teen were polar opposites in regards to their outlook. "Y'might want to think about what he said, kid," speaking through the din to Neji as the medics descended upon him. "Leave something up to fate and you won't live too long in this world."

* * *

OMAKE

"Now, we will take a brief intermission so our crews can, er, _fix_ the stadium floor. In the meantime, please enjoy the half-time show. A brief note beforehand. After the attempted self-immolations at the last exam, Maito Gai will _not_ be singing his traditional Hunka Hunka Flames of Youth." A shudder swept through the audience like a wave as there were still a few alive that remembered that horror.

Gai was in a fir of tears though none heard or saw it.

"Instead, here are two of our outstanding Chunin: Izumo and Kotetsu!"

Izumo was a wreck. Not only were they being put on the spot, but they had nothing to show! Smacking a palm against his friends back, Kotetsu thrust a microphone into his hand. "I got this," he insisted. "Just follow my lead." Clearing his throat…

Kotetsu:  
Let's face the facts about me and you, our love unspecified  
Though I'm proud to call you "chocolate bear"  
The crowd will always talk and stare.

Izumo:  
I feel exactly those feelings too  
And that's why I keep them inside  
'cause this bear, can't bare the world disdain  
And sometimes is easier to hide.

Izumo Kotetsu:  
Than explain our guy love, that's all it is  
Guy love he's mine I'm his  
There's nothing gay about it in our eyes.

Izumo:  
You ask me 'bout this thing we share...

Kotetsu:  
...and he tenderly replies.

Izumo:  
It's guy love...

Kotetsu & Izumo:  
...between two guys.

Izumo:  
We're closer than the average man and wife.

Kotetsu:  
That's why our matching bracelets say Izumo and J.D.

Izumo:  
You know I'll stick by you for the rest of my life...

Kotetsu:  
You're the only man who's ever been inside of me!

Face burning crimson at the possible implication in the wording, he waved his hands frantically at the audience. " Whoa whoa! I just took a shuriken out of his stomach!"

Kotetsu:  
There's no need, to clarify...

Izumo:  
Oh no?

Kotetsu:  
Just let it grow more and more each day.  
It's like I've married my best friend...

Izumo:  
But in a totally manly way!

Kotetsu & Izumo:  
Let's go!  
It's guy love, don't compromise,  
The feeling of some other guy.  
Holding up your heart into the sky.

Kotetsu:  
I'll be there to care through all the lows.

Izumo:  
I'll be there to share the highs.

Kotetsu & Izumo:  
It's guy love, between two guys.

Kotetsu:  
And when I say, "I love you, Izumo,",  
It's not what it implies.

Kotetsu & Izumo:  
It's guy love  
Between...  
Two...  
Guys.

Izumo's arm shot out to clasp his friend's but was cut to the quick by Kotetsu. "No hands," and pulled him into a hug. Er, a _manly_ hug that in no way lessened their manliness.

* * *

(In the stands)

Gai and Lee were both pouring buckets of tears, saluting the two Chunin, each with a thumbs-up.

* * *

(In the kages' box)

Hiruzen's palm came up to his face as he groaned.

(Taken from "Guy Love" from the Scrubs soundtrack)

* * *

AN/ Yeah, yeah. I know it's been a while, and for some of you this isn't the story you wanted updated. Well suck it. Inspiration is serendipitous, and I've been busy! But, on a lighter note, I gave you this super-sized chapter to in some way make up for the lateness as it is roughly double the length of my usual chapters (and I really didn't feel like cutting it off right before the fight. I hate it when that happens!)

As always, enjoy, and, if not, that's your problem.

And, a reminder to all, if you feel impatient about a story or don't like where it's headed, why don't you try writing your own? Just brain food.

PEACE!


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